Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-13
JUR|ST'S NEW IDEAS,
What Toledo Judge Learned by
 Day Spent In Workhouse.
WOULD USE JAILs, NOT FINES

Does Not Favor Imposing a Deternai-
 nate entenos--suggests That Time
 For Liberty Be Made Conditional on
 Reformation of the Prisoners-Says
 All Should Have to Work.
 James Austin. Jr., police judge of Toledo, O., recently finished sentence of one day in the city workhouse im- posed by himself while on the bench few days ago Judge Austin has been anxious to learn from experience the exact meaning of Nworkhouse sen tence and arraigned himself on a tech nical charge of curiosity. going tb the workhouse in the patrol wagon the same as common prisoner.
 "As I stood handcuffed ready to get into the patrol wagon with the crowd of Market square loafers making fun of me and my situation" he said after his experience, T was simply enduring what I had seen many poor victim have to suffer in days gone ny. The time I spent in my own society in the cell has rectifed my former views of time. for I know there are more than sixty minutes in an hour when you spend that hour in cell, with nothing to smoke. chew, drink, read or write and only the slant of the shadows in the cell to let you know what time it is I found our workhouse well warmed and scrupulously clean. the food whole some and the discipline firm, but kind.
 q was impressed with the uniform cheerfulness of the inmates. It re- minded me of the happiness of ire sponsible children. When we went out to cut ice the chosen men obeyed, but did not seem to go with alacrity. The thoughts of the prisoners seem center ed on getting out. They did not appear to be anxious for work. In fact, in the winter time our workhouse is mis- homer, through no fault of the officials. It is our loafing place, our harbor and haven of rest for the derelicts of so- ciety.
 If all the warehouses; are conducted on the humane principles of the Tole- do workhouse, workhouse sentence is not harsh punishment. Time is the only thing we have in common, and I have the conviction that the equitable punishment for crime would be the abolition of fines and the im- posing of imprisonment under the in- determinate sentence Let the time for liberty depend upon the reformation of the prisoner.
 "The strong natural desire for free dom will give the incentive and fur nish the hope for the desired reforma- tion. It is rank folly to throw into common prison the first offender, the vagrant, the drunkard and the harden ed and confirmed criminal and expect a reformation. Your rotten apples will taint your whole barrel
 "In the workhouse saw many men who were warmer, better fed and freer from care-in brief, better off than many an honest poor man of fam fly outside out of work and dependent upon niggardly public charity for his cuppOiI "oulo hOb pC iCoo to the prisoner, but I would be more generous to the man who is willing to suffer and remain honest.
 "The workaouse should have sepa- rate departments and the inmates classified and the different grades kept apart from one another. All should have to work. Promotion from a low CT to better grade should be made for good conduct, satisfactory work and proved betterment. Increase the privileges as the prisoner ascends in grade and at the end have your work farm and manual training department. Turn your prisoner out into the world able to do some honest work, get him place to work or see that he has the means to live an honest life till he ob- tains employment and the great prob lem and danger of society, the recidi- vist, the constantly recurring criminal, will be in process of rational solu- tion."