The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-09-26
MEETING OF
CONGRESS.
Indeterminate Sentence Rapidly
Growing in Favor.

UIOWIllg Ill IdNUl.
Philadelphia Conference Shows that
New Jersey Retains Lock Step and
Cropped Hair = DIR. Charlton 1.
Lewis Chairman of Committee to
Report to Governor.
The National Prison Association
invited the presence of delegates from
the several States at it's annual
meeting, held in Philadelphia Sep
tember 18th to 18th, and Governor
Murphy appointed a number OF gen.
tlemen connected with penal admin
istration or charities associated
with it to represent New Jersey
Most of these presented their creden-
tials, and others, sent by penal insti-
tutions and local authorities,
ioined them, so that thirty one del
egates were enrolled from this State,
including Judges of criminal courts,
and members of the bar, wardens,
chaplains and managers OF prisons
and reformatories, and several social
students and philanthropic workers.
It was noteworthy that the congress
was more comprehensive and repre-
sentative this year than ever before,
including practical administrators in
every branch of prison work, as well
as eminent members and advocates of
reform.
Among the topics discussed with
deepest interest was "The Indeter-
inmate Sentence" that is, the prin-
ciple, so rapidly gaining ground in
legislation and in public opinion,
that Imprisonment for crime ought
not to be for fixed, terms, but for a
period to be determined by the pris-
oner's own conduct. In New Jersey
this principle is adopted only for in
mates of the Railway Reformatory.
but the Congress appeared unan-
imously to favor it's general applica-
tion. Interesting reports were made
from several States of the great BEN
efits derived from special juvenile
courts, and from probation laws.
Where these institutions are most eff
cient, Juvenile crime diminishes rap
idly. and check is given to the
recruiting of the criminal class from
young offenders.
1t was shown that New Jersey is in
one respect behind her neighbors in
the march Of progress. Among more
than forty prisons which reported
their internal discipline, our State
prison is the only one which sub
jects its inmates to the humiliating
practice of close cropped hair, lock-
step in walking and the like, which
have been discarded in modern penal
discipline as injurious to the char
acter and unnecessary. Some ques-
tions of absorbing interest were not
discussed so fully as to lead to any
conclusion, but were reserved for FUR
ther inquiry. The most important OF
these, the question whether the sup
ervision and control of penal institu-
tions should be conferred in paid Off
cial boards, OF to what extent and in
what manner independent and volun-
teer citizens, or unpaid boards,
should share in it, was referred for
full inquiry and report to a commit
tee of eminent social students and
jurists.
The unanimous conviction of the
delegation is that the meeting of the
Congress was one of great value, and
must have an important influence in
developing public sentiment in the
direction of improvement in the
methods of dealing with and prevent
ing crime.
The New Jersey delegation selected
the following committee to make a
formal report Of the Congress to Gov
ernor Murphy DR.. Charlton L.
Lewis of Morristown, Prosecutor
John S. Voorhees, of Middlesex and
Warden George o. Osborne of the
New Jersey State Prison.