The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1910-12-22
JUDGE LINDSEY's METHODS
The System Used for Reformation Of
Colorado Convicts.

III lHS NoiOiduO Otdt6 ptHit6HlldIy
there are some seven hundred and
fifty prisoners. Over half of this num-
Der are outside the walls, the free
wind upon their faces, their white
tents pleasantly flecking the green OF
many mountain valley and grassy
plain, and never a sign to show that
they are the condemnees of society.
No striped ticking shames their back;
they sing and laugh after the manner
of free men as they swing their roads
past granite ledges or stack alfalfa on
leased farms, and neither during the
the day nor through the night do
armed guards stand around in sullen
watchfulness. In these road camps
and farm colonies are criminals of
every degree and term-crooks, high
waymen, murderers, train robbers and
border desperadoes-yet the sole pre-
caution against flight, the one thing
that holds them back from escape,
is the word of honor" they pledged
the warden as they left their cells for
. the open.
In wholesome environment, hap
PLY and beautifully employed, they
grow in mental, moral and physical
strength, wind and sun washing them
clean in mind, soul and body. In
stead of dead weight on the back OF
the taxpayer, they stand for them
selves, producing and developing,
ever working to the reformation and
regeneration that society intended.
Judged from the old and still accepted
chronological viewpoint, the scheme
is dangerously revolutionary. and yet
that it works well is shown by the fact
that less than one-half of one per cent,
have broken faith and attempted es-
cape.
1t is from the farms and the road
camps that the Colorado convict goes
back to the world. There is no prison
pallor on his face, no hate in his heart,
nor does he hurry to the city, eager to
hide himself in the slums until such
time as he can take more cunning toll
of the society that has broken him.
Clear-eyed, burned brown, shoulders
squared, eager to take another
chance, he ends his term in health
and strength, and personally aided by
the warden, looks for country job"
that will strengthen him in his good
resolutions.
The doing away with the armed
guards appealed to warden lyman
from two standpoints. In the first
place, there was the not inconsider-
able matter of expense, and. second
ly, he felt that the continual menace
of guns and revolvers made for resent
ment and revolt. He had banished
armed keepers from prison yard and
dollhouse by appealing to the con-
victs own fairness and common sense
and he saw no reason why some sim
liar plan should not be worked out in
connection with the road camps and
farm colonies. And so he put his
'word-of-honor" scheme into opera
ton, simply asking each man for a
personal pledge not to attempt to es-
cape. He had seen Judge Lindsey
send boys 20 reform schools without
escort, their WORD of honor" and
even out of his brief experience it had
come to him that criminals, after all.
were only bad boys grown up
Today over seven hundred acres
are being farmed. great stretches of
the most beautiful scenic highways in
the world have been scientifically built,
and more are building, and three hun
dred and fifty men are working in the
open, each day coming into closer ac-
cord with the standards that society
sets for her decent, honest members.
The DellneatOr for January