The record., 1911-04-27
Prison Reform.

The State of Missouri is preparing
TO get rid of the convict-leasing sys-
tenn. \ law recently passed provides
for the gradual extinction of the leas
es. When all the present contracts
expire the convicts are TO be used in
manufacturing furniture for schools,
clothing for the inmates of the State
eleemosynary Institutions, tools for
road and bridge work, and probably
in building roads.
The practice of leasing convicts to
corporations engaged in private en-
terprises is not to be commended.
That practice prevails in Kentucky
and has existed for many years. 1t
is time that the State should con
slider some better method of hand
ling the prison problem. In fact
the whole question of prison reform,
as il is viewed in the light of latter
day knowledge, is one that must
some day receive attention in Ken
iucky-and the sooner the better.
The contract system is passing. Ii
is fast being abandoned by progress
sive States. 1t is indefensible and
about the only plea on which lis ex-
istence has been justified, or apollo
gized for, is that it is ia necessary
evil" An evil it unquestionably is,
but necessary it undoubtedly is not,
as has been demonstrated by the ex-
perience of other States.
The average prison is breeding
piace of disease Thjs-pAsse. asibs
-IuvvvTv-rr 7vrv-ulSry fr,9SNe-<s'ethtedc by
Prof. Frank A. Fet,er, of Cornell
University, in an article entitled
vScme Social Aspects of the Anti
tuberculosis Movement" in April
number of the South Atlantic Quar-
terly. Prof. Fet,er writes:
"a large proportion of iails and
prisons throughout the United States
are notoribusly bad. If there are
many prisoners who die of lubercu-
losis, many more go free at the end
of their term bearing in their sys-
TENS the disease they have contrac-
ted. They so back to mingle with
their friends and families in their
homes and with their fellow citizens
in public places. They are centers
of contagion, and it is no exaggera-
tion to say that many more innocent
men die of tuberculosis traceable to
the condition of our prisons than
there are murdcrers executed on the
gallows or in the electric chair.
"lt is difficult to arouse public
opinion on prisons. The idea per-
sists that prisons ought TO be unat-
traciiye, and that means to most
people that there should be dungeons
underground, damp and dark as they
were in the Middle Ages. If the
criminal does not like them, let
him keep out of them. The truth
is that the criminal thinks nothing
about these conditions when COM
mitting a crime. Yet what if we
citizens and taxpayers imprison a
man for a minor crime where he
catches fatal disease as the result
of our Indifference and parsimony?
What If We thus spread tuberculosis
throughout The community? Is it
not folly, is il not cruelty, is it not
nearly, If not quite a crime2 In such
things as these, ignorance is not
bliss, 1t only saves men from guilty
conscience. Ignorance is misery sit
ting in darkness: knowledge shows
the way of escape"
The modern idea is that the prison
should be more of reformatory and
less Of penal institution. While it
is not possible to make a prison a
health resort and not desirable to
make prison life so attractive that
any considerable number of the
population should yearn for it, it is
both possible and desirable TO make
our jails and peniteniiaries senitary
and to reduce cruelty to a minimum.
To secure these results there will
have to be revolution in methods
in Kentucky and the first step that
should be taken should be in the
direction of abolishing the iniquitous
teasing system. \ number of the
Southern States have used their con-
sgcis te good advantage IN building
roads. SUCH &c experiment is CON
tempisted .n Missogr.. IN Illinois
rock-crushing p!ants hage been es
fablish-d a. the State peniisot,&T.ss.
The oonyic's thus prcdl acc road
making ma era. and tue State gives
It to the lows or Counties which
dsSiEs to Use il.