The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-30

is made of stone cut by the prisoners.
Indeed. many Of the prisoners have be-
come expert stonemasons, and as their
terms expire can get employment at the
quarries In Georgia at g a day. A man
a vagabond in reality-cOu.ing from tie
old Indian Territory. learned 10 forge
the finest kind OF steel tools. Some of
his work was so excellent that il was
sent 10 the jamestown Exposition.
The prison wall AT Atlanta is also
thirty feet high and was made OF con-
crete When finished the two peniten-
tiaries Will have cost the government
$4O0o,0o0 in cash. 4 reasonable estimate
of the value of the labor performed by
prisoners viii be S.O00,010. The prison
on Mcneil Island formerly belonged TO
Washington Territory, II viii accommo-
date only 200 men, but Will be enlarged
so that prisoners on the Pacific Coast
need not be hauled half way across the
continent Formerly, persons convicted
o. crimes against the United States.
there being no national prison, were sent
long distances-those from Alabama 60
ing 10 the penitentlary IN Iowa, those
from Mississippi going &c Michigan. and
those from Texas going TO New York
Would II be possible TO operate a
penitentlary without cells and armed
guards"
No Mr.. La Dow replied. "Dr Har-
ris r. Cooley succeeded in managing
the Workhouse in Cleveland without lock-
ing his prisoners behind steel bars at
night. Guns We're taken away from his
guards-they were not even permitted to
carry clubs. But workhouse prisoners,
1t must be remembered, are convicted OF
misdemeanors or petty crimes. They are
mostly drunkards, wife-beaters, and
tramps Penitentiaries contain an en-
tirely different type of men. Murderers.
burglars. and counterfeiters must be kept
in separate cells at night and carefully
watched all the time"
THE modern theory OF locking GRIM
inais away from the rest OF the world, -
said. is TO reform rather than 20 pun
fish them
There always has been a purpose to
vinL.cate society by incarcerating per-
sons who are guilty OF crimes. Mankind
has had civil government for thousands
of years and the Christian religion for
twenty centuries. but 1t is still neces-
sary TO lock up ones valuables day and
night. I have heretofore said that the
mailed ..and OF government is over every
house, shop, and bank vault throughout
the civilized world.
The criminal problem IS permanent,
II seems TO me, and may be divided into
two parts: the prevention Of crime ana
the reformation of those guilty OF crime.
There is not much hope of changing the
man who has deliberately taken up steal
ing as an easy way OF living. especially
after nc has served more than one term
in the penitentlary Professional crimi-
mails should be imprisoned for life. Under
passion. liquor or temptation. men often
violate the law They are promising can
didates, ordinarily, for moral regenera-
ton. being decent and law-abiding nat
urally
Parole system.
The parole system. recently adopted
by the national government. and now
operative IN many States, encourages
good conduct in prison and establishes
a probationary period out OF prison that
tends powerfully 20 effect complete and
lasting reformation. Under the law OF
Congress. using a well-known case as an
illustration. a certain banker, who was
convicted, as remember. on three
counts and sentenced TO prison for fve
years on each count, will be eligible for