The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-28
TREATING CRIMINALS
 AS HUMAN BEINGS


 gentle visionaries and their guests g I came away with something suspic- iously like lump in my throat, and feeling as though I had just attend ed some exalted service, or heard William Griggs read Browning. {. Big-hearted and human Frank II. Tracey. Sheriff at Montpelier, the beautiful capital city at Vermont, his fine. manly, son-in-law. Deputy H. .. Lawson, his gentle wife-who looks after the "boys" in jail with the soli- citude of mother-are peculiar minded in respect that they do no1 believe that, because man has been weak or unfortunate enough to com- init an offence which brings him un- der the heavy hand of the law, that he is entirely beyond the pale-a paria.h and coutcast whose name is anathema. It is altogether extraordi. nary.
 It came about in this way. The Vermont Legislature, in 1908, passed law which required of one guilty of intoxication, or a hyper-abund- ance of the nomadic spirit-officially perform rs'not more than ten hours manual labor within or without the walls of the County jail each day ex- cept on Sundays or holidays.''
 r~ R- ~1>.~ this practice has been tried in Frank lin and Orange Counties, Vermont; but it remained for Sheriff Tracy who believes in men and who has confidence in manhood--to carry this scheme to fruition in Montpelier.
 The Sheriff believes-and he and his family live the belief-that deep down in the heart of every man, no matter to what depths he may have fallen. there is a latent spark of de- cency and honor which needs but small encouragement to develop into a self-respect and integrity which will serve as a balance wheel when the convict is released to the world once more.
 As Deputy Lawson philosophical ''there is one law which applies alike to rich and poor, but the method of its application varies greatly. Ths son of well-to-do parents is found guilty of some breach. and father pays his fine. He has not suffered the ignominy of jail sentence. But one of these boys gets drunk, or com mits a petty larceny, and having no one to befriend him, is forced to serve a jail sentence, with all the odium which attaches to this. The original difference in their crimes was not visible to the naked eye. but the ultimate results are antipodean in their effects upon the criminal"
 What anarchic logic the Deputy uses?
 Othello says there's no art to find the minds construction in the face" One needs but spend an evening with the prisoners in Sheriff Tracy's model jail to demonstrate the truth of this. Just the same sort of men you meet on the street. There goes myself. but for the grace of God"
 Lombroso, in his maturer years and ripened experience. practically repudiated the fundamentals of his Dilinquent.'
 
 splendid altruists, Governor West, of Oregon, and Judge Lindsey of Den ver-an appeal is made to the honor ,f culprits. and in but three cases out ,f almost a thousand. has. the appeal been in vain. One escaped prisoner l who secured employment with a | armer, was so conscience -smitten | hat on two or three different occas- ons he started back for prison to give himself up, but lacked moral | and expressed himself as ecaptured after four months.
 When prisoner is sentenced to Sheriff Tracy's care, the kindly war
 
 len has a little talk with him some hing to this effect. Now, my boy, they are all boys here) you've done | vrong, and have got to pay for it. However, I want to be your friend ve want to help you-you trust us, nd we'll trust you.'
 In a few days work is found for he prisoner-perhaps in County working for some armer, possibly two or three miles way. The prisoner is furnished arfare and reports for work every norning-returning to the jail again t night While I sat chatting with Deputy Lawson, a half dozen. at in- ervals, came into the office-a cosy title place which showed the refining influences of Mrs. Tracy and young Irs. Lawson, and with a cherry Hello John," or "Bilr' the smiling prisoner would be let in behind the arred door. There are forty prisoners at present I this little jail-27 of whom are , oing outside work in twelve differ { mt places. One of them is working , pr the wealthiest man in Montpelier s trusted house-servant-repo