The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-11-10

A representative of the Ocala Ban
ner called on DIR. S. H. Bitch, state
prison physician, to obtain some re-
liable information concerning the
present convict lease system of which
there is so much being written and
said just now. He is just back from
the national prison congress. which
met at Lincoln, Nebraska, and we
asked: Doctor. what is the nation
al prison congress?"
Said he: ''It is an organization of
wardens, chaplains, physicians, not
ed penologists, choicest spirits and
most enlightened men and women in
America and prison men from Porto
RIGA, Canada, Mexico and other
countries"
''Its aims and purposes, doctor?'
"Prison reform; ameliOratiOn of
laws in relation to public offences and
offenders; improvement of penal and
reformatory institutions and their adj
ministration; the better care of dis
charged (sick and disabled) prisoners
and the effective accomplishment of
sentiment in regard to the relation of
the state to the law-breaker. 1t has
been formerly held that the function
of the state was to punish the wrong
doer. Our prison congress advocates
the theory that the duty of the state
is to reform the criminals rather than
punish them. In other words, the
problem should not be so much to get
rid of the law-breaker, but to abolish
lawlessness."
"When was your prison congress
organized and what success is it max
ing toward reformationr'
''In 1870; Governor Seymour, OF
New York, first president. In 1888
r. B. Hays was made president.
Since then wherever a meeting has
been held there has been left a new
hight on the subject of prison work
which has resulted we'll to the city
and the state in which it met, and
today the movement is worthy of all
commentator and encouragement,
because it represents one of the most
practical efforts of modern humane
tarianism. Possibly its good results
are more in evidence north than they
are south, from the fact that its aims
and purposes are more generally I'M
derstood Thereon have been more
thoroughly tested When properly
understood in the south its success
toward prison reformation will be
made much easier.''
Doctor, will you tell US how your
organization proposes to deal with
criminals?
Somewhat as physician would
treat d sick man. However, we be-
lieve he should be quarantined for
the sake of social society. but should
be treated remedially as well as pure
lively. Convert every jail and prison
into reformatory. If iliiterate give
them plain education. If incompe-
tent teach them trade: If physic-
ally defective give them proper exer-
else. If poorly nourished, feed and
admission to outdoor life.''
And now what do you advise as the
best preventative of crime?
81 am sorry you have propounded
that question, because it is the most
intricate with which we have to deal.
am one who is willing to accept the
Bibles teachings-God's word-bring
up child in the way he should 60
and when he is old he will not depart
therefrOm. Let the fathers and
mothers have proper homes. Environ
ment has much to do with moulding
the character of the people of a ma
ton. AS the home is, so will be its
occupants. The same respect for his
parental authority measures the
young mans regard for the law.
Memories of childhood should be
pleasant; should be memories of the
purity and genuinness of life, where