The San Francisco call., 1909-02-14

present arrangement all convicts from
''fsh" (new comers) to old felons are
herded together. 1t has long been
recognized that this is one of the cry
ing evils of the present mode Of caring
for prisoners. Many times cellmates
will be a callow youth of II serving
a short term and sneering monster
who hates free men with all his de-
PRAYED mind. 1t is easy to see what
the latter's influence on the boy is.
There are nearly half a hundred boys
in San Quentin under 90 years of age
They are forming their characters
now.
Degraded to the stripes. believing
themselves disgraced for life, it is nat
ural that a fellow feeling should grow
up among the prisoners. They are out
casts. a few against the many. The
prison officials battle against this sym
pathy. Once let a law breaker get the
idea firmly fixed that the world is down
on him and he degenerates into a
criminal HencefOrth his hand is
against every man.
In time first termer grows callOused
to his position A dull hate for the
law and the people who took from him
a portion of his life makes it easy to
cast the die for crime. Very few men
take punishment philosophicalIy even
when it is most deserved. Many times
his Imagination is fired by stories told
by boastful yeggs of the many tricks
they turned before getting caught.
The tales finally bring him to believe
that the law is an easy thing to beat.
Under such delusions many weak
youths and young men have left the
prison doors with minds made UP fully
to become part of the underworld and
live its life. They usually return.
But the contagion of crime resulting
from this i'll advised way of massing
the prisoners is not the only evil at
tributable to the system. 1t permeates
the very blood. Because of this con-
glomerate mixing of the better with
worse elements in the penal cOmmun-
ity discipline is harder to preserve.
morality is shattered. and the health
of the prisoners. bodily and morally. is
demoralized. Recognizing this and a
number of additional reasons not gone
into here. the first step in the reforma-
tion is the segregation of prisoners.
Three divisions are to be made. The
first class is confined to the best be-
haved and most intelligent prisoners.
From their ranks only can a man be
paroled Greater privileges will be al
lowed them. such as the right to COM
municate with outsiders, yard liberties
etc. Their labor is planned to be light
er and more eongenial. and more time
for recreation and consequent liberties
are to be given. There the conviCts
will wear neat uniforms. as will those
In the second class. The intermediate
division is the clearing house. There
the new entries are destined to remain
six months. Then, according to their
behavior and general department, they
will be placed either in the first or
third class. Less liberties. more work
and shorter time for recreation is
planned for this division.
The incorrigibles and the worst ele
ment of prison population will com
pose the third section. Hard work i:
to be their portion. From morning
bugle until lock up time at evening
1t will be labor. ineessant. COmmuni
cation with the outside world will bt
cut off absolutely. No play time /:
to be allowed: only labor. hard manua
drudgery. These Will be garbed il
the hated stripes. These alone vii
receive physical punishment for rules
broken. These will be sent to the
dungeon. when prisoners in the highe
grades would be merely reduced L
lower ranks.
But for the lowest there will be hope
always. Even the one in the blacl
and dirty white barred garment is t.