Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-15
The Treatment Of Convicts.

are still so treated, IN TACT, III sunni
countries and in a few of our states
but in most civilized countries, and
certainly i'll most of our states, new
order of things has come about. When
a man is sent to prison in these times,
! his confinement is not only meant to be
n punishment to himself and a means
of protection to society, but also, and
in minor Offenses more especially, q
means of reforming the offender so
that when he has his freedom he will
have an honest trade at his command
and an incentive to lead better life.
And so prison workshops have been
established, and libraries and schools
within the grim walls, and many lines
of prison work undertaken by practi-
cal and humane people.
Moreover, the effort is now made by
up-to-date prison authorities to allow
diversions which will prevent prison.
ers from brooding, and it has been
is an actual help toward discipline as
well as a great benefit to the mind and
body. We have been much interested
in the accounts published in the Bos-
ton Advertiser of the experiments of
Warden BRIDGES in the CharlestoWn
(AIass.) State prison. He has intro
duced innovations whose suggestion
would have amazed beyond words the
prison authorities of Il few years ago
and the results are amply justifyinS
him. For instance, the national game
of baseball, so dear to the heart OF
Americans, now has an established
place in the CharlestoWn prison.
Not only has the game given the
the workshop, but it has afforded a di
version for their minds. q breath O!
fresh air and look at the blue heav-
ems above. And not the least result OF
all is the Improvement in the discipline.
No unruIy prisoner can participate in
the game, and many Il man naturally
fractions has been good just for the
chance to go out in the prison yard and
play a game of baseball. Next to Il
pardon or an expiration Of sentence,
permission to play ball or see Il bail
game is the greatest boon that can be
conferred upon amy prisoner. no be
deprived of the privilege of being Il
player or a spectator is the greatest
punishment Il prisoner can receive.
The inmates have two mines, called
this year the Iteaolutes and the lIust-
lcrs, and they play every fair-We&ther
Saturday from May to October. Every
plJyer is 4 prisoner, and the uinrires
are likewise inmates. The league rules
are followed strictly, and the umpire
is obeyed. The two teams play for
championship honors, and every game
is written up for the prison paper,
The Mentor. Ground rules naturally
prevail, owing to the smaIlncss of the
prison yard, but there is room enough
for ECO Spectators, all prisoners. The
games are played with just us much
zeal, carnestness, enthusiasm and
some of the playing is really profess
sional in its quality. In fact, one of
the leading pitchers is an old Boston
league pitcher.
The Mentor, the prison papcg referred
to above, is another feature of the
CharlcstoWn prison. Several of the
larger prisons now have their papers,
edited and published wholly by con-
yicts. The Star of Hope at Sing Sing
is one of the best known Of them. The |
Mentor is IL monthly and was estab- |
lished three years ago. 1t is OF -
pages, 12XS, with all the departments |
of Il typical magazine and everything |
in it is contributed by the prisoners. |
first issue of the magazine, the literary |
has stirred the air in every !
cell in the big institution, and spring |
poets and literary fcllers' have BIOS
somed in every tier. The better cdu-
Gated convictS who had been blessed |
with schooling, a college graduate or |
two among them, were designated as
editors to handle copy, and every in
mates who could write Cor thought he
coulD was filed with zeal to prepare /
M article and see his work in the Men
tor. Men who had previously passed
the time of day cursing their Keepers,
called for pencil and paper and began
10 scrihbIe. Others who We're illiteratc
asked help in writing down their
thoughts, and the institution from be
ing ever reminder OF their sins
against society, became Il WellsprinsS of
hope. Cof1victs who had dropped into
as to their future COM
mcnced to plan what they would do
when they were released, and one old
man, who will probably die in prison