Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1911-06-08
DECLARES JAIL
ADDS To CRIME
Speaker at Boston Urges
Complete Revolution of
Penal System
BY Associated Press.

Poston. Mass, June "A COM
plete revolution In the treatment OF
misdemeanants and petty offenders
throughout the United States was
proposed by Dr. Frederick Howard
wines statician OF the Board OF
Administration OF State Institutions
OF Illinois. al the opening session OF
the national conference for chari-
ties and corrections.
DR. Wines characterized the aver
age county or municipal iail In this
country as a school for crime, cess
pool OF moral contagion. a propagat-
Ing house OF criminality, a feeder
for the penltentiary. public nui-
sance aond a disgrace OF modern
civilization. The public indifference
TO the situation he attributed partly
to ignorance "1'he county officials"
he said. do not know what a iail
should be and the people 60 not
know what their jalls really are. In
plain Anglo-Saxon, the truth is hat
wherever here exists local graft and
political dishonesty the county pri-
son l. It's center and its stronghold.
The sheriff or the TAILOR makes per-
sonal profit from crime by charging
per diem for board for prisones
and by the receipt OF fees for lock-
Ing and unlocking the jail doors.
That profit Is a live wire No local
politician. possibly no member OF
the legislature or even of the state
administration dares monkey with
Il.
I'VE have substantially won the
fight for the reformatory state pri-
son and the interminatc sentence be-
cause we concentrated our fire upon
n vulnerable point and made every
shot tell In attacking the count
jail system we have pursued the on
poslte policy We have addressed
our arguments and circumstances TO
the county authorities. OF whom
there are In round numbers s,500
sets. instead Of 10 the legislative bod
les. ot which there are less than 80.
We have pleaded for new iails. bet
ter iails. when We should have de-
manded their replacement 10y prisons
owned and controlled by the state
and their emancipation from local
political control with It's petty and
selfish interests
There was q time when local con.
troll was necessary and proper hut
that WINS LONG ago Today the county
prison IS an anaChronism We i'm
ported u with other institutions
from ENGLAND but conservative Eng
land has outgrown Il and dates m"
dawn 90 us rcgcnerate prison sys-
tenn from the wear OF its abolition
There is mo- good and sufficient roa-
son why the state which enapts "a
criminal code with Us definition Of
crime. irs prohibitions and It's pen
altes should assume the custody and
care ~ tho man committed 20 pri-
son for three wears and refuse 90
recognize lbs responsibility for tho
man sentenced for three months
abandoning him To the haphazard
mcrcies OF the inferior Jurisdiction
which Is certainly dishonest II Is
not the majesty OF the county hut
that ~ the state which calls for vim
dication. The supervision OF crime.
lot II take what form Il may, Is
the business OF the state The state
should name. and u should have eX-
elusive authority over 10 the execu.
tive agents TO whom Il entrusts the
discnhrre Of this supreme govern
mental function.
The one hone Of enlightened
progress in dealing with the prob.
lem OF crime Is the overthrow OF the
county TAIL system To this end we
must direct our energy With the
state once IN command there can be
no ucstion but Il viii find a way 10
risht tho wrong and remedy ;he evils
which inhere In the present organi-
nation md management OF minor
prisons"