Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-29
FAVORS PRISON REFORM
VIEWS OF POLICE CHIEF KNAPP
OF TOLEDO.
Disapproves Bologna Sausage and
Bread as Diet-The Parole
System Adopted.

Perry D. Knapp chief of police of To-
ledo, Ohio. participated in the deliberations
at the convention Of police chiefs held here
last week and remained long enough to
enjoy the hospitality of the Baltimore po-
lice officials. He has been chief of the To-
edo force number of years and is an ar
dent advocate of prison reform.
THE great trouble he said to a Star
reporter, 'fs that the prisons do not keep
up with the times. If they would only
halfway keep pace with the police depart
ments a much better condition of affairs
would exist. Despite the rapid strides
made IN almost every walk of life during
the past few years. the fact remains that
many of our prisons far behind the
times. Some people think that confinement
in prison is not punishment enough, and
have an idea that life should be made
hard possible for prisoners. In the mat
ter of food and quarters the conditions in
some prisons are simply diSgraceful. 1t
seems to be the idea of some prison officials
that anything in the food line is good
enough for criminals, but | do not agree
with them. When a man has been de-
prived of his liberty he is undergoing Sc
we're punishment. and by further unkind
treatment the badness in him is going to
assert itself and certainly not assist in the
matter o feffecting reformation.
Regarded as Poor Diet.
remember when took charge of the
police department of Toledo and found the
prisoners were given nothing but bologna
sausage and bread, l thought the diet
poor one. There is no denying the fact
that a great many prisoners who are
locked up over night have been intoxica ted
the night before; some are on the verge of
de!lrium tremens, and to give them such
diet as bologna and bread is like giving
them SO much poison. After studying the
problem L found where I could improve
upon the bill of fare and at no greater
cost to the state.
Il arranged a cereal and milk breakfast
and a substantial dinner at o'clock in
the afternoon The cereal seemed to be
just the thing for all concerned. Each
prisoner is given a bowl of well cooked ce-
real and as much milk as he wants.
half-pint of milk is allowed each prisoner,
but he gets more if he wants it. Beef,
vegetables, bread and coffee are served al
dinner and these meals are better and cost
less than did the bread and sausage.
1T is shameful that improper and unfit
food is served in so many prisons, said
the chief. 1t is also shame that in some
of the prisons there the old, solid ma
sorry cells of years ago, with no modern
improvements. Men are put in these places
and improperly fed, and the people wonder
why man of refinement gets that prison
look so soon after he is placed behind the
bars. l know in some prisons, where there
are modern improvements and gas is
used the oxygen is soon gone and there is
nothing about the surroundings that is con-
ducive to health.
Bad treatment of this kind is not neces-
sary, and such evils should be remedied. a
man in prison should be treated man
and be made to believe that there is still
something for which he should want to live
but when he is put in poorly ventilated
hole and only half fed he is calculated to
lose ambition for something higher and
the chances for reformation are not very
great. If you should put man in a room
in the White House and give him the best
of food, but not let him go out of that
ROOM he would be punished, and would
soon begin to think that his punishment
bordered severity.