The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-01-24

I tlcally the same in all penal institutions
further than to say, that corporal pun
ishment is not part of my system of
discipline. I have found that solitary
confinement in isolated, well-lighted
and well-ventilated cells, is by far the
most effective form of punishment with
which [ am acquainted. There is here
no awakening of sympathy for pal
who has suffered from alleged brutality
in the shape of Aogging, no matter
how we'll merited; the delinquent
simply deprives himself of his grade
privileges and does not even have the
poor satisfaction of giving his keepers
lot of trouble, while posing before
his fellow-convicts as "bad man."
At present there is an annual ap-
preparation of $4,000 for the support
of the prison, with an additional $500
for repairs, sum ridiculously made
quate when the venerable, had almost
said prehistoric character of some of
the buildings is; considered. The an
nual cost of maintaining the prison is
from 100000 to $4,000 and the bal
ance over andsabove the $4,000 must
come from the esrnings Of the inmates
in some form. er the Board of Man
ayers be guilty of misdemeanor
should the earnings and appropriation
be exceeded by the necessary expenses
of the institution. The productive in
dustries of the prison are the making
of shoes on the pece-price plan; and
the manufacture of binder twine for
State account. The former requires no
capital on the part of the State, an ac-
counting being had every thirty days;
the latter employs about $45O,OOO cash,
$150,O00 of which was loaned by the
State to the Prison Board, the re-
mainder being the accumulated profits
of the business up to this time.
think l but voice the sentiment of
the foremost thinkers and writer's on
the subject of prison reform when l
say that society expects something
more from the intelligent prison man.
agement of the present day, than the
mere punishment of the offender. 10
exact the pound of flesh and having
exacted it to turn the criminal loose
to again prey on society, is almost a rel
ic of the Mamertine prison and the dun
geons of Nero.
The restraint of the evil-doer, is of
course, imperative; but his reformation,
provided that be possible, is what So
ciety expects and what society de-
mands. And l candidly believe that
| in no craft are proper tools of such
vital Importance as in prison craft.
For the ends Of reformation, the &C.
cessories should be the very best. A
season of disciplinary training must
be gone through with on the part of a
large number, even of first offenders,
before partial degree of reformation
can be hoped for, and to this end, as
men engaged in the solution of one of
the most intricate and vexatious prob
lens Of modern economics, the prison
officials should not be handicapped
with insufficient means and methods.
What we need in this great and pros
porous State, is a new prison, modern
in construction, convenient as we'll as
safe in its appointments where labor
can be inteIligently and economically
employed. Much of the work of cen
struction could. be performed by the
prisoners, and lnuch of the material
now in use could be used again. Lo-
Gated on some high spot adjoining the
present town OF Saltwater, connected
by rail with the present location, the
work might be prosecuted with such
degree of viger as the appropriations
would warrant, the men being taken
to and from the work every day, per-
fectly feasible plan as demonstrated
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