The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-26
Bill IBID PRISON
BY FREDERIC ). HAskIN.

STOPPING position so long that the
muscles of their back atrophied and
they were unable to Strengthen up
when liberated frem their chains.
Beri- beri was a common disease, ana
welcome death carried away an
average Of five day.
When the Americans took charge
things were quickly changed. Eleven
hundred political prisoners were no
Grated outright. the chains were ioos-
emed from three hundred, the build
ings were cleaned up, the grounds
graded humane guards installed and
a general overhauling given the whole
system. The first warden vas Major
Bean. OF the army. He was sue
ceeded by George y. Wolfe. of Ore
gon, who still holds the petition, and
has been responsible for the excel
lent condition of affairs that obtains
there.
All az the prisoners, clothing Ia
manufactured In the prison shops
shnes and hats included. The FIRST
effort at Industrial enterprise in the
prison was the making or soldiers cots
In lots OF 10000. After this. bamboo
furniture was made for sale Then
laundry was established, and II has
grown until to-day 1t Is model
American steam laundry plant with a
capacity Of 1900 prison pieces day.
With room for as much more outside
work II can successfully iaunder the
soiled linen Of battleship in two
days doing ar high as 13.0ee pieces
for u single chip IN the arbor.
In It's industrisi department. care IL
taken that the products do not come
in competition with outside free labor
products of the same nature. In ths
fiscal year 1908 tho profits of this de-
partment amounted to more than So
900 pesos Adding to this the $4,000
pesos paid to the government for
prison labor. the result Is a weli-nigh
self supporting prison population. Ac-
cord!ne TO thu prevailing system of
bookkeeping however the receipts OF
the industrial department are not
available for the upkeep 81 the prison,
but are turned into tho general treas
ury.
The whole prison system OF the Phil
ippine islands 10 row being conducted
along refcrmatory lines The prison
ers arc taught TO read and write Eng
iish and are given u trade suited TO
their taytes and ability. II has been
found that three years of training II,
Biib.d usually cont erts a criminal
into a useful. decent. law abiding citi-
zen. when a prisoner has served his
sentence he IS among the best trained
ef the natives Of the isle ads. and the
management finds II comparatively
easy to get him good job II Is very
seldom that the employer has oeca-
sion to regret the employment OF one
whom the prison authorities recon-
mend. Practically every trade followed
on the islends is taught at Biiihid.
There Il system al merit in force,
and the ones who distinguish them
seives for good conduct ara sent to
the IwahiE Penal Cnlcny, where they
may live In the open and have their
families with them. It 60 happens,
however. that most OF the men who
nre sent to this colony are doomed
to disappointment In the matter Of re-
uniting with their fafnilies. for Bill
bid sentence for n Husband In con-
siderad by the wife ~ emitting her
to a divorce. GO she usually becomes
the wife cf some other native before
her prison Auckland can establish
reputation for good behavior sufficient
to entitle him to 20 to Iwahia. How
eyer, m.ny iAmtiias have been Te-
united there.
This t.,iony Is governed 50 that the
-enis re..sfaint Is that If moral suREinn.
af-eeufse, the superintendent has
power to send any member back 20
Blind, and no hrcarms are allowed
In the colony. There arc no guards.
but the working force Is we'll oryan-
tied, With the most trustworthy In
charge. When the men come 10 the
colony they eaiu IN weight In spite
Of the hard farm and fefest work they
are required to do.
There have been severai attempts
80 Hal rs.s nfr