The independent-reporter., 1910-06-30
SHOULD
Be REF0RMAT0R|ES
Inmates Might Become
Useful Citizens
Our Vicious and Wasteful Jail Sys'
tenn.

Names Jail system is both vicious
and wasteful. 1t is vicious because
it fails and must continue to fail to
give the prisoners any employment
that will be useful to them or make
them more useful to the State, and
because it largely fails to benefit in
any way those imprisoned; but sends
them forth to a continued life of vice
and crime.
The system is wasteful because 1t
is conducted at an expense to the peo-
pie beyond what is necessary, and
serves no purpose other than the iso-
lation for a short time of those CON
fined.
Each county, except Sagadahoc
maintains a Jail, which is under the
care of the sheriff.
A large sum of money has already
| been expended on these jails, and the
| ieil inspectors declared, in their last
report that nine jails were inadequate
to present needs, and the expenditure
of a considerable sum of money Is I'M
mediatey needed to put them IN
proper condition.
A iail should not only be place OF
punishment but also a place OF re
| formation.
No one influence is more demoraliz-
ing than idleness. These prisoners
should be given work to occupy their
time and thought; but in addition
such work should prepare the prison
ers for a more useful life after the
term of Imprisonment expires.
Now prisoners In three jails have
no work. In three of the larger jails
the prisoners make heels for shoes /;
in four they saw and split wood; in
one they cut mattress buttons and
shoe heels; in another they break
stone; and in another they do the
general work of the Jail. All that
can be said for such work Is that 1t
furnishes employment; and more than
this is impossible under the. present
system.
Last year 6,646 persons were sent
to Jail in Maine. OF this number 3,609
were committed to Jail for intoxca-
ton. Penobscot County has 500
chronic drunks," Androscoggin prob
ably as many more, and Cumberland
has 1000. In this 1000 Chronic
drunks" there is a certain number of
confirmed drunkards who are sent to
Jail again and again for 80, go or 80
days and who in no way are bene-
flied except that they are kept from
getting drunk while in Jail. Some
of these men could be reformed un-
der right influences. The State owes
it to itself to do its uttermost to
make good citizens out of these per-
sons. At present the state is doing
nothing to this end.
reformatory prison should be
provided, located in one of our best
farming sections and provided with
ample land for farming purposes. A
number of industrial plants should be
provided In which trades can be
taught. There should be a resident
physician and a chaplain, and the
prisoners should be given indeter-
inmate sentences, their release to de-
pend upon such degree of reform as
would make it probable they would
live an Industrious and sober life on
their return to freedom.
The money 1t will cost the counties
TO make the Improvements in the
present jails properly demanded by
the Jail inspectors. would largely pro-
vide such a reformatory prison.
The expense of operating such
state plant would not exceed the cost
of operating our present Jail system,
when provided with needed work
shops.
The gain to the State from such a
plan would be large in money and
beyond estimate in the value of men
reformed.
Last year $500 drunken persons
were sent to Jail. The imprisonment
period of each was at least 30 days, a
total of 108,270 days. or 346 men for
one year. Estimating the earning ca
pacity of man to be $500 there was
lost to the state $207, 1900 In produc
tive labor In 1909.
The State Is wisely building at
large cost home for the 2.200 feeble
minded persons In our state. All
that can be done for these Is to make
them comfortable. They can never
become useful citizens, and must,
during life, be q burden to the State.
If the State at such expense seeks