Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-01-15
Penitsntiary Investigation

prove to bea good thing to in
yestigate the Kansas pentiary.
1t is a good thing to have an
occasional Investigation of ev-
cry state institution. The i'm
mediate effect of this investiga-
ton however, will probably be
bad. The cOnvicts get the idea
into their heads that there is to
be a let up Of discipline and
that is always demoralizing. The
Generalization has already mani
tested itself in indications of mu-
tiny which will result:in more
punishments and possibly serious
trouble.
1T is a sadthing about any man
having to 60 to the penitentia-
ry. 1t is quite possible that a
good many of the men who do
60 might have been made honest
and useful citizens if they had
had the right sort of training
from the time they were babies
up TO the time they reached
manhood. We think the time
will come, is coming right now,
when it will be conceded that or
ganized society, that is the
state, should do more. in. the
way of training boys to be use
full citizens so as to save them
from becoming criminals later
on.
But while this is true, it is
also true that a penitentiary can
not be run on the same plan as
a Sunday school. The men who
60 to the pen might perhaps
have been saved, that is a good
part of them might, if they had
been taken in time and properly
trained and educated, but they
were not trained. They were a.
lowed to grow up lawless, unre-
strained, surrounded with all
sorts of bad influences and by
the time they get into the pen
they are apt to be mighty bad
citizens. They have got to the
point where they have lost all
sense of moral obligation. They
have made up their minds to
prey on society. They are also
against organized society, against
government and the only thing
of which they stand in fear is
force, physical force.
OF course the government Of a
prison ought to be as humane an
mild as possible consistent with
ought always to be kept in mind
the possibility of making the
prisoner a better man, of turn
ing him out better fitted to
be good citizen than he was
was when he came to the pen,
but there is not great deal of
room in a pentitiary for senti-
mentalism. A weak administra-
ton of a pentitiary would almost
certainly lead to INSTRUMENTATION
mutiny and then a killing.
We have said it before and we
want now to say it again, that
the system of punishment of
CRIMINALS ought to be changed.
10 the man who commits his frs
offense the state ought to be
merciful. If. he shows any dispo
Sltlon to be good, give him a
chance, help him, parole him and
watch over him. If he breaks
the law second time make his
term longer and give him less
chance to get out on parole. If
he gets into prison the third
time it is evident that he will
not be law abiding citizen o.
he is so weak morally that he
cannot resist temptation. In
either event society should not
be put to the trouble and ex-
pense of catching him and try
ing him again and again.
There are a good many pro-
fessional criminals who have de-
termined to live by crime,
and take their chances on punish
ment. They figure even after
. they have been convicted once
or twice or maybe several times
that next time they will be too
smart to be caught. There are
men in every state penitenti-
airy who have served time in a
number of other state prisons.
There are a number of that kind
in the Kansas pententiary.
Now if these professionals un-
dorcton1 kkok - I'LL