The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-21

IndJ IL nelp MIN TO De q D6CLSf cltlL0ll.
Tuberculosis Driven Out.
On assuming my duties as warden
year ago L found that one out of every
five of the prisoners showed symptoms
of tuberculosis, and nearly all of the
cases We're contraced within the prison
walls. One out of every three was serV-
ing his second, third, fourth or more
sentences for crime. One out of every 10
was affected With some form of insan-
ity. The great majority of the prison
ers worked indoors, marching and
working in a listless manner. Most of
the men We're stopped shouldered, and
they appeared TO be poorly nourished.
To better the conditions of the prison.
ers, and for the purpose of aiding them
in every way to become better citizens
| on their return to civil life, l took the
following steps, with your aid and APP
prevail:
The insane ward was renovated,
/ dining room tabliShed, an assistant
| insane ward steward employed, and
three meals of good, wholesome wen
cooked food were given to the inmates,
| instead of two meals as heretofore. and
| a system of outdoor exercise estab-
| lished. Results: Twelve out of the %
| inmates OF this place went back to their
cells and work Those remaining We're
greatly benefited and the crank house
! is no longer a prison horror, but place
| where the broken down prisoner is re-
| built, and almost always restored to his
place in the ranks.
The prison kitchen was renovated. an
! expert cook employed and better meat
| and -four purchased. Results: For the
| same amount of money expended, bet
i ter food was furnished to the prison.
ers, and the waste from the tables was
| reduced one-half.
| Recreation of Prisoners.
To stop the increase of insanity and
| the spread of tuberculosis so minutes
! a day for five days in the week has
| been set apart for the men who work
| in the shops, kitchen. offices, cell
| houses and factory, to take exercises in
the open air. Restraint is removed
/ The men play baseball, pitch horse
/ shoes, play basket ball and take such
/ other exercise as suits their needs.
| The men visit among themselves, the
| officers mingle with them, often UNI
piring their games. At the close Of
| the period the men are formed in line
| and march in silence to their work.
The results of a years trial have been
| very gratifying Not to exceed a half
dozen infractionS of the rules have oc-
CURED on the Fairgrounds. The men
have almost universally increased in
weight as we'll as in chest expansion.
They are clear-eyed, walk with an
elastic step. and the Improvement in
discipline has been marked. The usual
prison vices have decreased fully 10
per cent, the tuberculosis tent has been
torn down. and no new cases have
been added during the past six months.
| Every department of the institution
reports that the men have an increased
/ capacity and Q. desire to do the work
! assigned them. The increase in the
amount of work done as we'll as the
better quality. is, perhaps, the most
remarkable results of the recreation
/ period noticeable.
Sunday in the Grove.
In addition to the open air exercises
| given week days, sunday morning
| when the weather permits, the Bible
classes meet in the prison grove for
thirty minutes study of the lesson. The
men are then given an hour and a
quarter of freedom in the inside prison
yard.
1 believe. says the warden. that the
| relaxation from the discipline, the lib
erty to talk and laugh, and run and
| let the natural man assert himself, is
as beneficial to the prisoners mental
and nervous being as are the exercises
to his physical requirements. The
| benefit of the discipline comes in
drawing 4 sharp line between the pris-
oner under the rules and thea prisoner
free from restraint.
! have now under consideration the
esta blishment of a system of winter
| recreation. For the men during the
winter months when the men were de-
prived of the exercise privilege the
| major and minor violations were
double that of the summer months
on October Is the penitentiary con-
tanned 905 inmates, OF whom S67 were
males and 50 females. Of the males,
567 were white and 286 coIored; white
females 7, coIored females 80, and one
Indian female. There are 81 life pris-
oners at Lansing, including those SEN
fenced to hang, one of the 81 being d
woman.
WASHINGTON'S BIG EXPOSITION
r.