Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-03-24

-reformatories IL shall only be adminjs-
tered upon the judgment of a majority
OF h board OF managers. sitting as a
after spportunity TO the ac-
cused to be heard IN his defense and
confronted with his accusers. That
said Judgment shall determine the char
acter of the punishment 10 be admin
fstered, and il by padding. the nuns
Der of blows shall be stated THAT the
punishment shall be administered by a
subordinate officer of the institution
designated for that purpose by the
board of managers only, and who shall
not be the general superintendent, and
that at least two members of the board
SHAH be present to Witness each case
OF punishment.
THAT the general superintendent and
physician be required TO join in writ
ten quarterly reports showing ia detail
each case OF corporal punishment for
the period named, and giving the date,
name or inmate punished. accusations
brought against him and by whom. etc.
The evidence taken by special COM
mittee shows that in the absence OF
such regulations the administrator OF
corporal punishment has been greatly
abused n at times III judged and
cruel. The Investigations of the spe-
cial committee have clearly proved that
the general superintendent of the state
reformatory has been guilty of numer-
Gus acts OF injustice. inhumanity and
cruelty TO the inmate OF the institu-
ton, and that his tendency toward in.
justice, inhumanity and cruelty is con-
tfnually increasing"
Results Of Inquiry.
In explanation of the results or the
inquiry into the method OF punishment
ut this institution. the Star has re-
CeiXQ1 "a laffAr frnnN Thnnaa~ Ctpruic ~
New York city. who was president OF
the board of managers of the reforma-
tory at the time of Mr.. Brockway's
resignation, from April. 1893, TO De-
cember 81. 1901. Mr.. Sturgis says in
part;
I'm consequence of the public noto1ie.y
which had been given TO the methods pur.
sued in this connection by Y. r. Brock
way for several years prior 10 my sncum-
bency as president. two public investiga-
tons had been ordered and held, one OF
them under direction of the state board OF
charities and with the cooperation OF the
governor--at that time Hon, II. II. Flower.
The first OF these Investigations resulted
IN a severe criticism and condemnation OF
MIR. Brockway's methods, as appears from
the printed report OF the committee, the
ground assigned being that the punish-
menis We're, in many Instances. cruel and
barbarous. Before this report was pro-
mulgated by the state board OF charitiea
the governor took action without waiting
for said reporp. and appointed a special
commission for the purpose OF the same
investigation. Tho second commission pre-
sented a majority and minority report.
she majority report c~ondonlng and excus-
ing the action of superintendent Brock
way, and the minority r-eport-iwritten by
a Judge of the supreme court-condemning
such action vigorously,
Corporal Punishment Suspended.
THE then existing conditions continued
under Mr.. Broelxway's management and
were In operation when ! became the pres
ident Of the board OF managers. by request
and appointment of Governor Roosevelt.
Ia the spring of 1899. l at once suspended
corporal punishment. so far as the appli-
cation of violence TO the person OF the
prisoner was concerned, except I'm so far
as was necessary TO effect their removal
from one cell to another for purposes OF
isolation. Since that time. under my sue
cessors in the presidency of the board.
the system then inaugurated by me has
been followed and corporal punishments
OF the kinds alluded to have never again
been resumed.
The result Of this. during the two yna-s.
and q half OF my administration, was a
marked Improvement in the conduct, and
duNdHCtilclL All Sttl NoIlNTOi,NtTaDt euuCd-
ton and general progress of the inmate
population as a whole. The tone OF the In
Mates toward the management gradually
changed from one of antagonism to one OF
a fair degree OF cooperation in the efforts
being made for them by the management.
This condition of things. i am advised, has
continued in a marked degree.
Cannot Reform Through Chastisement
"1t is my firm conviction that you cannot
reform prisoners who are incarcerated for
the violent acts resulting from unre-
strained passions by infiioting upon them
physical punishment OF the character re-
ferred TO, which they bear because Ii Is
inflicted by superior physical force, but
which produces upon the mind of the
prisoner reyengeful feelings only. The re.
form of character, to which the institu.
ton at Elmira is primarily devoted, can
only be reached in the last analysis-by
creating III the prisoner q desire and ef.
fort for il. Anything which leads 10 such
desire is wise: anything which fails to cul.
tivate ii. or results in tho opposite, is
erroneous