The Jersey City news., 1905-10-31

DISCUSSED
Judge Sweeney Speaks in
the BelieVille Avenue Con-
gregationaI Church on Our
Penal System.
IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTED
MODERN IDEA OF 1MPRIsoN-
MENT is Nor THAT or RE-
VENICE, BUT OF REFORMATION
THE MASSACHUSETTS WAY.


THE MASSACHUSETTS, WAY.
Police Judge Algernon 7. Sweeney of
Newark, delivered an address on Sunday
in the BellevilIe Avenue Congregational
Church. His topic was .grhe New Grim
inologys
Our PENAL codes begin by attempting
to classify crimes as if they were sub
stahtial things, being capable Of dehni-
ton and comparison, creatures which can
be classed in genera and species. The
law defines manslaughter, arson, burg
larry, robbery, larceny and 50 on, as if
each offense were something representing
a distinct character and distinct degree
of guilt, 50 that when the name is given.
to an act, the proper treatment of the
perpetrator can be inferred from ii. The
entire system is absurd. We ara dealing
not with acts, but with actors; not with
deeds, but with men; not with abstrac-
tions, but with human hearts minds and
lives.
For the treatment of criminals in the
State Of New Jersey we have the county
jails, the penitentiaries and the State
prison, and then we also have on the
other hand, the reformatory.
"Now, when you send man to jail
or prison, what do you send him there
for?, Why, you send him there for a GER
tain number of days or months or years,
and when he goes there he knows that
at the end Of thar certain period he will
be released-because he has served his
time There is no question as to his fit
ness TO come out into society again--he
has served his tilne There is 10 Dues
ton as to whether he is able to assume
his place in the world of action-he has
served his time
The other type is the reformatory,
where man is sent, not for a given time
but 10 do a givelf work, and that work
is to secure, if happily he may, his
reformation. He is sent there to learn
habits Of industry and thrift, 50 that he
may be able to take his place in the
world when he comes out.
These two institutions have been con-
Quoted here in the State of New Jersey
along these two lines. and what do we
find to be the results? Wen, my friends,
if there is anybody here who wants to
go to a school Of crime, l can suggest
nothing better to You than that you have
yourself committed to a county jail, be-
cause you will find plenty of teachers. I
am not speaking simply Of our own Es-
sex County Jail, but Of county jails in
general.
In Massachusetts they have probably
the most advanced system of penology
in the world, ana what is the plan there?
When .. boy is arrested for any crime he
IS sent to school, and not to a school of
crime in the shape of,a county jail. He
is sent to a school where he learns all
the common branches, which he would
learn in the public school and he is
surrounded with good influences; he is
classified with boys of his own age, but
the word reform school is not used, and
from the time he goes there until he is
sent out into the world to be useful, he
never knows thar he is in a reform
school. The consequence is that the
State of Massachusetts turns out useful
citizens instead of sending out criminals.
And when man or woman is com
mitted to prison here in New Jersey and
has served his time who is there to
lend hand to him when he comes out?
Nobody. Think Of that man who, when
Judge Skinner asked him if he had any
thing to say Why sentence should not be
pronounced asked the judge to send him
somewhere, where when he was released
he would have chance to do better.
And the judge had to send him to State
prison; he could not send him anywhere
in Essex County because in Trenton,
when he is released from prison, there
will be a good Catholic priest standing
ready to give him some help.
Ny friends, if you want to do some
thing, if you want to achieve some nota-
bisity fer your church in the city, there
s noshing that I can recommend to you
laore than tie formation Of prison
commission eshieh VIII look after some
qf these poor, weak people, who are at
tines sadly IN need Of assistance
who nAanx times do not mean g offend.
hrt w.lo 90 rot have the strength II ea-