Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-10-27

Possessed with q worthy regard for the
good opinion of men, higher ideals and
new conceptions of justice and of honor,
in a word, normal views of life must
gain possession of the man and develop
the power of self-control in place of blind
passion. This is what reformation of con-
victS means.
'"rhe new penology further avows that
the patient. the lunatic and the criminal
must all be confined and treated until
cured, be the time more or less; that this
exinsency can be met only by the adop-
ton and application of the indeter1ninate
sentence, by which the prisoner, on con-
viction, is sentenced simply to imprison-
ment. no term being fixed, but tie con-
vict to be released only upon the decision
of a competent board that he has gained
both the purpose and ability to lead
lava biding life; that a reformative sys-
tenn of training is the indispensable COM
plment of the indeterminate sentence,
whereby the prisoner is left to work out
his own salvation under the strongest
possible incentive, the love of freedom.
'To speak generally of the most press
ing needs Of our State in the way of new
institutions better organization or addi-
tional legislation, belongs to some one
more infinitely and extensively familiar
with the situation than myself,
Il. however. have one or two vague and
perhaps wholly useless notions, growing
| out Of a few years practical experience
and observation in administering the
criminal law. with reference principally
to tile punishment and reformation of
those rODVirtp6 II, in
to these things. even, 1 speak as the
scrbes and not as one having authority.
First of all. | believe that much good
would result from the establishment of a
state board of charities and corrections
organized as / have indicated with merely
inspectionai and recOmmendatory powers;
not that our institutions are badly man
aged or need any INVESTIGATING. on the.
contrary I believe that in the main tney
| are very well Managed but in the in
terest of coordination, cooperation, and
uniformity in administration. and espe-
| cially in the interest of the Sraate:t econ
omy and wisdom in the expenditure of
| the state'a noAcy and the care of it's
wards; and looking to conservative, sane
and gradual improvement wherever pos
sible in every branch of the admins. ra :
tive service.
Il think it has been said by Edward
F. Mayo, Esq. of this city, inspector of
prisons and jails. that the next institution
which this state ought to establish is a
lefcrmatorN for women. This is the very
highest authority. and if this is Mr.
Mavc's deliberate Judgment. l should be
very slow to disagree with him.
'F'rOn1 actual caSps which I have had 70
dispose of on the criminal side of my
court. l have become strongly impressed
with the need of some intermediate re-
formatory institution in this state be-
tween tho State School for Boys on the
one side and the Jails and State prison
on the other.
For convict boys above sixteen years
CT age and all adult first or infrearent Of
tenders there is no place to which any
of them can be committed except the
jails or the State prison. AS our ails are
constructed and necessarily at present
have to he managed, these young and first
offenders come in many instances in daily
and intimate contact with hardened. de-
PRAYED and expert criminals. The result
is inevitable,-the Jail becomes nursery
and training school for crime. In my
court l am always very slow to commit
cases of this kind to either the Jail or
State prison: and as result some very
long chances are taken with probation.
Finally, think the preservation of the
peace and the administration of the Grim
inal law in our cities would be much ia
tilitated by making some rational provi-
sion for the detention and possible ulti-
mate reformation of that unfortunate
class known as habitual drunkards and
confirmed petty thieves. These poor vic
Tins of the drink habit are no sooner
discharged from jail than they return to
a repetition of their offence and are again
sentenced. Their lives are vertiable end
less chain. If they could be committed.
either permanently or till their reforma-
ton were assured. TO \ state or county
farm. where they would be obliged to fol-
low a properly established regimen of
regular work and healthful and correct