The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-05
REFORM N STATE prison
1T is RECOMMENDED BY THE sPE-
CIAL COMMISSION APPOINTED
TO INVESTIGATE
SALTWATER PEN TOO SMALL
Besides Being Inferior in Other Re-
spects to the Best RefOrmatory
Institutions of Other States
of the Unipn.

The special commission appointed by
Gov. Lind the beginning of last year to
investigate into the matter of prison
labor has submitted its report.
The commission spent great deal Of
time in New York and Massachusetts
Investigating into the methods in vogue
there. The report is, in part, as follows:
For the purpose of studying the re-
formatory problem we resorted to the
celebrated refornatories at Elmira. and
Concord and conferred with their Of
fcials. ss'-7-
1.-THE most salient feature in their man
agement is the complete stibordination of
the idea of pay or Profit. The whole adj
ministration is directed to such educa-
ton and regimen as may result in restor-
ing the inmates to society, not only dis
posed to live honestly, but equipped With
such knowledge and skill in some useful
art as to earn an honest livelihood
In both these refornatories consfd-
cradle proportion of, the time of all the
inmates is employed in the domestic
service, in making clothing, shoes and
some other articles for use in. the insti-
stitution, and in the construction andre
pair of the buildings. The remainder Of
the time is occupied in the schools Of
letters, the manual training schools, the
trade schools, the gymnasium, and the
military schools. b
Both institutions have passed cut of
the period of experiment and, by their re-
suits, have abundantly justified the re-
fermatory principle and their operation
under it. The lesson they teach is evil
dent. Remunerative labor must be COM
pletely subordinated to education and
discipline. Our reformatory must be con-
verted into a school of manual training.
literary, trades and military departments.
The trade schools may be developed
from existing beginnings and multiplied
gradually according to circumstances.
The farm and gardens ought at length
to be the basis of a school of>agriculture
and horticulture" ,seefe
PROBLEM OF PRISON LABOR.
Under the head of iiiThe Prison Labor
Problem the commissioners report as
follows:
EN- pursuance of our instructions, we
visited two New York prisons, those at
Auburn and Sing Sing, and the Massa-
chpsetts state prison. at Charlestown.
The following synoptical exhibit may be
found useful to the reader:
Prison labor may he carried on on
private account and public account
Under the first head COME the contract
system and the piecetwork system.
Under the second head come the state
account system and the tstate-use sys-
tenn" eis
The report then explains the merits of
the various systems as found by investi-
go eon, and then states;o
Before touching the question of policy
most desirable for our state, it may be
well to enumerate certain desiderala
agreed to generally:
"FiIst--Convicts need to work for
health and Improvement and they ought
to earn their own keep SO far as con-
sistent with the principal object of their
'seeond-Priscn discipline and labor
have for their prime object the reforma-
tien of the offender and his restoration
at the earliest possible moment to the
general labor force of the country as q
self supporting worker.
''Third-SuboRd inatez rto this prime OBJ
jeet. prison. la Dor 90 shoulde@-he;s serious,
profitable toil resulting ife7net profits TO
apply againstStke cost of maintenance.
7'fFourth-&There should BE a Reasonable
variety of occupations. partly for edu-
cative purposes and party that they may
be suited to different. capacities and con-
situations.
+'Fiy e-For the, class called trepeaters'
and for steady jnoerrigibics, there should
be plenty of heavy 1laTdsworK.
-.Sixth-Changes OF labor systems
should. be made but rarely, and only
after mature deliberatien.
81. Prison. industries should be so Sc
lected and conducted and the products
SO disposed of as not. to establish I'M
reasonable competition with outside in
dustTies and labor and not purpose1y
to concentrate competition upon existing
local industries.
"S. The supply of public institutions
may properly be reserved for the con-
sumption of prison products at market
prices, but the state Should not be re-
stricted from the general market II neces-
sary to keep the whole1prison population
fully and profitably employed.
TWINE PLANT. FINDS FAVOR.
Next in turn ~cames4tha recommends
TONS which are as follows:
81 That the Irvine, Manufacture be
continued. 1t has been Urged by some
that the business is somewhat specula-
tive because of the high cost of raw ma
terial relative to that Of athe labor ex-
pended upon it, and 's4hstb the men en-
pfeyed do not thereby leeffn a trade.
In view, however;fNef the history of
this industry, we would9deem it's salspen-
sion unwise. Any industry. carried on
on public account is open to the objection
of risks and there is a certain class of
prisoners who have little concern to learn
a trade.
THE Irvine industry has furnished en-
ployment to inmates. 1t has not only
proved self-supporting, but has yielded
a considerable net revenue. to the state
It has been of great value to the farm
ers and taxpayers of the state. It has
benefited not only those who have
bought the prison product But has ope-
rated to reduce prices for those buying
elsewhere. It has. doubtless, protected
the people of Minnesota from eXactions
of a combination.
1--WE therefore advise the retention of
the Irvine manufacture and suggest that
it may permanently furnish appropriate
employment for able-bedied differs" re-