New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-10
A TALK TO CIVTTAS.
J. G. Phelps Stokes Tells Club Of Shocking
Conditions.


Prisons are themselves among the most potent
csues OF crime in this country" J. C. Phelps
Stokes Of the University Settlement. told the
women OF the Civtas Club. OF Brooklyn, yesterday.
N the course NJ talk on social Responsibility
al Mrs a.. *. Aesseroie's. no. 100 Joralemon-st
In urging the development OF sense OF social
RESPONSIBILITY among them, ar. Stokes told the
women a few facts. especially about the way the
prisons o. the country are managed, or were Up
70 within a few years. that MADE them look aEhast
a. another.
AT congress OF prison officials and penolor1sts
which ] attended year or Two ago." Nr. Stokes
said 'it was stated that Sd per cent Of the grad
yates Of our prisons returned 20 a life Of crime
TIE warden OF Sing Sing got UP and said 30 per
cent Of al the men who left Sing Sing returned 20
its vaus-he didn't know how many more found
their way into other penal institutions. The war
Den Of the prison on Blaokwells Island said he eX
pectod 10 see s. per cent OF his graduates come
hack 70 him. There were cases on record where
men had been returned 10 jail forty fifty sixty
tines and one case where the commitments had
reached one hundred. Expert after expert IN PEN
Oagy arose and said that the prisons were them
selves among the foremost causes % crime, and
without q dissentient voice IL asked what
night society had 20 take weak man and tura
him into a finished. professional criminal in this
way
How dld the State use TO treat its c-imlnals7
III i've or elk years ago i threw old and young:
escape. Why, IN New-York, about three years ago
size OF this'-indicatne the back drawing room
where about hale bis audience were sittlng-"and
running around three sides and huddled together
N the place miscel-ar.1us gathering Of boys ot
sixteen. sent up Tor chei~ first offence. habitual
drunkards and seasoned criminals ~ mature age
The conditions were most foul and obscene. and
fayorahie for the most indecent and outrageous
vow. fancy the boy who had never done an g.
leka4 act before in his ate shut ~ there, Willy
produce Could We blame him if he became a
orgnkard OF a crook of the worst type2
A. Two Two years ago these conditions were changed
~ continue Vow. compare the hEures gave
tgures ~ fhe so-cailed reforuatory system which
81 ~ 'osl5 ln t-AE.,ne Japan and some OF our
sates. and under which not over % per cent re-
UNI 90 "a ife ~ crime. What was responsible for
gsse i TIE prison system or tle people VINO
fa, Tor which ne -orm15rit,. on an al, vents
Ee9ls Of individuals in the community. were 500
ss 4 divine VISITATION, = He' SAID ..r5-dav vgber
discs after disease has been brought under con-
question ~ dir TE-7oid fevp- Is due 10 ne 20
--anc' .r .h. trt.t.srtuoe or people which pre-
barracks ana --a-,. .--,.so t- ~ ,,,o1i 81 %
measures
Take tuberculosis There is "a certain block IN
average one new case OF t,.bercuIosis deve0Ug
every tge.ya DAVIS ar5 So r+-li,sr houses v,e-e
% death occurs from tuberculosis every thirty
statlstlcs go-that sort 81 tEinr las gone on and
y VII continue anita the Conditions are changed
m our blindness we say. u can't he helped
, Lan't it2 A group ~ versions owns that block
- December d very earnest effort was made 10
nave lne city condemn Dr. and turn the area into
public para. Every department Of the city gov
We pan but Two influential men represented 70
49,, aL action would affect The estates whose