Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-26
ASKS MINISTERS
TO TAKE ACTION
LETTER ISSUED BY PRISON
REFORM LEAGUE
Eastern Organizations Unite In Effort
to Impress on Clergy lmpor-
tance Of Discussing
Crime

The Prison Reform League, 443
South Main street which has been
urging ministers throughout the coun-
try to set apart the last Sunday of
this month as Prison Sunday, has sent
to the individual clergy of this city
the following additional appeal:
AS you must know from the arti-
cles that have appeared repeatedly in
the Los Angeles papers-notably the
Herald and Journal-we have endeav-
ored to induce the clergy to set aside
October 81 as Prison Sunday for con-
sideration of the crime problem, which
is now, by the threatening necessity
of the case, occupying so large a space
in current literature and discussion.
I'VE have received much encourage
ment from ministers in the northern
portion of the state. and we have had
also scattering inquiries from the east
In reply to these inquiries we have
sent out of late a very considerable
quantity of the best printed matter
at our command, and we are always
eager to furnish information.
1--WE are now in receipt of a circu-
lar letter from the Massachusetts
Prison Association, which runs, in
part;
" The American Prison association
and the Massachusetts Prison associ-
general use of the fifth Sunday in
October (the 31st inst.) as Prison Sum
day
Clergymen who have observed
Prison Sunday speak in the strongest
terms of the deep interest of their con-
gregations in their sermons on the
crime question. The ordinary church.
goer knows almost nothing about the
magnitude of the problem; the differ
hofmonn and methods.
the reasons for the change, or the re-
suits. : Nor have they realized that
there was an opportunity for personal
service-for the prevention of crime
and the restoration of those who have
been astray or that there is an obli-
cation resting upon good citizens to
take an interest in wrongdoers.
"'Many of the churches have ig-
nored the crime question: have done
nothing for the prevention of crime, or
for the restoration of the discharged
prisoner. This neglect is due, mainly,
to lack of information. When the facts
are known, interest will take the place
of Indifference. VIII you not present
them to your people, and press upon
them their obligations, using one SER
vice, either on Prison Sunday or at
some other time? When you do so,
will you please inform us?'
Should Not Lag Behind
'We feet strongly that Los Angeles
should not lag behind the east in this
matter, and indeed there are most
urgent reasons why she should step
boldly into the front rank For not
only have the penitentiaries of Cali
fornia, and her other penal establish
ments, been the subject recently of
unsparing and we'll merited criticism;
but it is the lamentable fact that
California has the unenviable reputa-
tion Of leading all the country in the
proportionate number of commitments
to prison, Her percentage is six times
larger than is that Of Illinois, and
more than ten times that of Alabama.
Moreover, in this unhappy matter
Southern California, in proportion to
population, leads the rest of the state.
at appears to us that the date of
October 81 is a somewhat unfortunate
one at this particular point, since 1t
Immediately precedes a municipal elec-
tion, involving issues which may mate
rally for the moment monopolize your
attention. But If that date is not at
present available we ask you to sub
stitute another and an early one, so
that the subject shall receive at your
hands the consideration to which it is
assuredly entitled"