Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-09-30


write only once a fortnight. Men in
the third grade have their heads shaw
ed-as do all inmates on their arrival,
but not subsequently unless they wish
| Iit-and may not smoke or chew or
write without special permission.
"One of the absurd questions which
visitors TO the institution frequently
ask Is, DO they allow them to read!
Every weekday from 6 to at night
and on Sundays from noon TO the
great majority have nothing else 10
do but read. They are allowed TO
draw two library books week, but
MANY do not need to avail them
selves Of this privilege. While daliy
newspapers are rigidly excluded, all
but the third grade men are permitted
all the weeklies, magazines ana p3oks fs
that they can pay for or that their
| friends can send them.
"By an ingenious system or marx
ing cell numbers on these prlValeiy
owned publications 1t Is also possipie
| to pass them on to others mus
many men by subscribing to nVe OF
six weeklies and magazine or t"o
can assure themselves or luliu vi
reading matter which very rev per-
sons on the outside can afford. FROM
a thousand to fifteen hundred pupil
cations privately owned pass through
the librarians hands every day. me
state also subscribes to about thlrty
magazines, which are distributed W
every man who can read as long as
they hold together.
But IL a man cannot read, What
then? Why, he is sent to school.
school for crooks, my dear SIT! lsh
that encouraging crime and pamper.
| ing the prisoner Not at all. IN
the first place it benefits prison dis
cipline. The brains Of most men are
so constituted that they need actlvl-
| tv. Now on the deterrent theory the
| iiliterate man Is safely locked up LOT
the night. But he cannot be expect
ed to appreciate the attention ana ms
brain continues active. 1t Is haruiy
| to be supposed that in the morning
he will be in a Christian and amiaple
frame Of mind.
IF after a hundred such wakings
he breaks loose and assaults guard
he can be punished Of course, put
surely prevention Is better than TINS
kind of cure. On the other hand II
YOU set this same man down to learn
his alphabet, to master the adVen-
lures Of Susie and her kitten until ne
finally Is able to determine the ex-
act Whereabouts Of suffragettes ana
ex- presidents by glance at his paper,
|
to the community? I think not. L
think he is going to use the memora-
BILE words Of a man Of forty-five whom
I taught for one year; This was worth
coming to prison for
For those whose education was
already more highly developed the
saltwater prison maintained an or
ganization unique in institutions OF
| the kind. This was a Chautauqua cir
cle A clear record and the aDility 10
write and deliver a paper were the
qualifications necessary to MEMBER
ship.
while a very small proportion OF
the inmates is affected by this VII
lage debating society, 1t deserves no
tice. Meetings were held once fort
night on Sunday afternoons In the
chapel at which, within reasonable
bounds, much liberty was permitted
the members. The circle elected
president, vice-president, secretary
and critic of its own and the president
was responsible for keeping order at
the meetings.
THE circle was as a rule divided
into two parties. The intellectual
minority was in favor of strict ad-
herence to the Chautauqua course or
study, while the majority favored less
rigorous methods. In effect the ma
jority ruled and the circles time was
occupied by the reading, discussion
and criticism of short papers on every
conceivable subject, but In most cases
descriptive Of personal experience
| In summing up his impressions Of
the wisdom or unwisdom OF prison
methods as he experienced them at
saltwater John Carter" thinks that
the silent system might be modified
| and a certain amount OF converse
ton permitted during the day.
Careful supervision would In his
opinion prevent this from disturbing
discipline. He would have daily
instead of a weekly function, would
permit prisoners more opportunity to
breathe fresh air, would have read
ing room, where men might smoke,
read and play games as one OF the re-
wards of good conduct.
In the matter Of pardons he points
out that there seems to be a defect
| in the system in Minnesota. The
board Of pardons there considers on
| ly the circumstances under which a
crime has been committed.
| This method" says John Carter"
| seems to put the most important
point Of all out Of consideration-the
| present character Of the applicant.
Not what he was five, ten or twenty
years ago, put "Hdt He 10 INV SioGio
obviously be the real test OF his fit
ness to rejoin his fellowmen.
1.-The theory Of the indeterminate
sentence, which allows for the possi-
bility of a prisoners reformation, is
excellent. In practice 1t would be
necessary to guard very carefully
against abuses. The warden must de-
pend on his subordinates for informa-
ton about the prisoners. These sub
ordinates are as a rule honest and
we'll meaning. but not masters OF
psychology. Hence the answering
hostility which the prisoner feels to-
ward the indeterminate sentence has
reasonable basis other than the
mental discomfort of not knowing
whether he Is serving one year or
ten."