The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-08
0. K. ON PRISON.
Kansas Investigating Commit
tee Files Report Today.
Warden Haskell Is Given Clean
Bill.
USE OF THE EARNINGS
Ask That Oklahoma Prisoners
Be Removed.
Contract System to Be Abolished
by State.
USE OF THE EARNINGS

The special committee appointed by
Governor Hoch to investigate the state
prison at Lansing, composed of F, D.
Coburn, Prof. F. W. Blacknar of the
state university, State Mine Inspector
GlIday, Rev. Charles NJ. Sheldon, and
Dr. 3 j. Crumbine, at their meeting in
Lansing Wednesday completed their re-
port and transmitted it to the COVER
nor, who received the same and made
1t public today. This is the report of
the Kansas committee and has nothing
10 90 with the sessions of the Kansas
and Oklahoma joint committees now in
session at Lansing. The first few par
agraphs Of the report contain the meat
OF the Investigations as follows:
The Policy Is Wrong.
THE Kansas penitentiary has many
defects, but ranks well among the other
penitentiaries of the country. There are
two vital defects. cIlargeable to state
policy rather than the administrative
offices. First, the penitentiary is a
money making institution, as each war
den must make a good financial show
ing or the opposition party will make
capital out Of his failure to do so at
the next campaign The penitentiary is
now used for both punishment and re-
form, While formerly men were thrust
into these institutions to be held as cap
tlVes. If the conduct of the peniten-
t1ary was changed as regards the money
making policy that institution would
rapidly become what it ought to be-
Now, the Kansas penitentiary is not UP
to the intellectual and moral standard
Of the state"
Haskell Exonerated
AS regarding the charges of Miss Bar
nard against Warden Haskell the COM
m1ttee found: Except in minor details
the charges made by Miss Barnard
against Warden Haskell and his sub
ordinates of cruelty and inhumanity to
the prisoners, of poor and insufficient
food, excessive and dangerous labor in
the mines, of poor sanitation and of
discrimination against the Oklahoma
prisoners are not sustained by our in
vestigations."
Prison Earnings
The committee found that the earn
ings of the prison for the fiscal years
of 1907 and 1908 were $50, POI, and in
Guiding permanent improvements of
$3O,911, brought the total net earn
ingS up to $100,112. ''ThiS sum-" the
committe declared, Should be devoted
to the moral and educational uplift
of the prisoners" But the intimation
is made in the report that this f1nan-
cial showing will only stimulate the
prison authorities to make more brick,
dig more coal and make more bind
ing twine next year and make still |
better showing for the next admins |
tration. While courts are expensive |
and it can be urged that criminals |
should be utilized-a as much as possible |
to bear a part of this expense the |
committee believes that it is the duty |
of the state to decrease the per cent |
of crime rather than the cost of GRIM |
inals. Reference is made at this point |
to 'paltry dollars" vs. humanity.
Should Be Better Spent.
1t appears to the committee that |
this 100000 made by the peniten- |
tiary should be devoted to a hospital |
and equipment education, food, and |
modern kitchens, better care of the /
criminal insane, tuberculosis pavil- |
ion, land it would be wise and hu-
name and more profitable in the long
At this point in the report the recon-
mendation is made that the hours of /
labor be cut to eight hours per day.
The Prison and Politics.
Another defect in the penitentiary
is pointed out in the fact that it has
been and is yet subservient to parti-
san politics. The warden should have
a longer tenure of office, and should l.
pable nor by political influence. The
officials in charge of the penitentiary
should have knowledge of the
science of penology. This is urged as
essential.
while no legitimate complaint of /
serious maIadministration can be sue
cessfully urged against the prison au-
thorities there are improvements de-
sirable and evils to be corrected in the
equipment and management of the
penitentiary.
The committee found that Warden
Haskell was not discourteous in his
treatment of Miss Bernard as charged |
in her report.
More Occupations.
They recommend that greater /
variety of occupations should be pro- |
classification of the prisoners com |
mensurate with their physical and /
mental condition. The work should be |
graded in order that the prisoners |
could be advanced in line with their |
good conduct and diligence and ca
pacity.
A Criminal Contract.
The committee, speaking of the Kan
sas contract with Oklahoma, to care
for the latter's prisoners, said: TT is |
a crime for Kansas and Oklahoma to |
contract to send young boys to peni-
tentiary where there can be no chance /
for their care and instruction apart |
from hardened criminals
The committee found that out of 533 |
prisoners received from Oklahoma 31S /
had a certain disease and that many /
others were diseased in one way or
other.
Punishments Not Cruel.
The committee found that the |
water cure was neither painful or cruel |
but was effective" That the crib had /
only been used twice in the past two
wears. That the practice of handcuff- |
ing prisoners to the wall or post is |
the most severe punishment practfced /
h1,f that not /