Evening journal., 1911-08-05
MR.. SINCLAIR
ON WORKHOUSE
tcontinued from First Page.l

/ asked, Does that do much good?"
He answered. mo, they are gener-
ally too far gone w'-h tuberculosis"
In other words, in that prison men
are worked in a tailoring factory, un-
der the charge Of a profit-seeking con-
tractor. for eight hours a day, with
no opportunity for fresh air during
the few waking hours that are left 10
them, and when they are found to be
dying of tuberculosis they are sent
out to work in a stone-quarry to re-
cuperate. Let me say that If these
statements ara wrong | am open TO
correction, but / have certainly good
reason to believe that they are true,
since they were made to me by a keen
er, instead OF by prisoners. OF course
It would not be fair for me TO name TO
you the particular keeper; that you
will understand without explanation.
May l inquire If there has ever been
any examination made of the prisoners
in your institution in order to dis
cover just how prevalent tuberculosis
may be2 / viii venture to make ths
suggestion that you have some physi-
clan OF standing. not In any way con-
nected with the institution, to make
such an examination; If you will do so,
] am certain that you will find that
tuberculosis is far mora prevalent
among the prisoners for whose care
you are responsible than it is among
people of similar social grade out
side. In connection with this subject.
may / ask you to inform me Just who
was responsible for the construction
otyour prison, and to what authorities
IL would be necessary to appeal In or
der to secure any change in It's struc-
ture? How does IL happen that tho
prison was built without any enclosed
court or yard, and how can It be that
those who are In charge of the insti-
tuition are not aware Of the absolute
necessity of some opportunity for fresh
air and exercise to every living crea-
ture? The need Of such fresh air and
exercise has now become an axiom Of
hygiene, so widely known that IL seems
difficult to believe that such a deflci-
ency could be owing TO ignorance.
To remedy these evils IL would be
necessary TO make structural changes
In the prison building; the next criti-
oism which | have 10 make relates to
an evil which could be much more
easily remedied, and which, am
sure, lies within your power to rem
edy When Ientered the prison / was
informed by the warden that Il was
run upon the silent system" II took
me the balance of my eighteen hours
70 realize the full borrow of those
words. l was told that there were
twenty-five men serving life-terms in
this prison, and a great number of men
serving ten, twenty or thirty-year SEN
tences. These men arise in the morn
ing, 90 TO their meals, 90 to their
work, and go back to their cells with
the eyes of keepers watching them
every moment, and with heavy PEN
alties hanging over them for uttsring
a word to any of their fellow-con-
victs. | declare that such a system is
barbarous and inhuman beyond any
words, and l assure you that Il is my
intention to begin an agitation and to
continue II until that system has been
done away with I'm the New Castle
County Wofkhouae. and in any other
Institution in the state where il may
prevail.
believe ] am correct I'm the as
sertion that IL is the unanimous state
ment Of all students of the science of
penology that the object of punishment
is not revenge, but correction. What
possible hope can there be for the
reforming OF the soul of a man who
is shut up behind steel bars. and given
nothing TO occupy his mind day after
day for a long term of years? Such
man must sink below the level Of
a brute. and there can be I'm his SOU
nothing but a blind and ferocious hat
red OF the powers of society which
have inflicted such a horror upon him.
/ am not contending that a Jail should
be turned into a club or recreation
center. / am not complaining because
the men have TO work and earn their
keep; I am complaining because in
the spare hours that they have left
they are not permitted and encouraged
to get fresh air and exercise. TO bathe
and keep themselves clean, and to hear
lectures Of an instructive character.
am complaining because In so
many little details OF their lives they
are confronted by such blind and cruel
lack Of consideration. They come In
TO their dinner, after four or five hours
in the stone quarry, and they have to
stand for fifteen minutes or so in
corridor while waiting for the call
for dinner; during this period they
are not allowed to speak a word, nor
even to sit down upon the floor II
they are tired. / know. for / tried
Il. Doubtless / was more tired than
the rest of the prisoners, but still FIVE
hours in a stone quarry disposes al.
most anybody to sit down for few
minutes. Again, they are given hal
an hour to eat their meals in silence
and then they have not a minute I,
rest before going back to work. They
are permitted to bathe only once ,
week, even in such hot weather al
We had a month or so ago. All thil
is merciless, / think anyone will ad
NIT.
Next, as to the food which is givel
to the men. IL did not appeal to me
but that Of course is not a weight,
matter. I have made inquiries AM
learned that it is the food ordinaril
given TO prisoners. 1 have never Wis
tied any other prison. consequently
cannot say how the appearance O
these prisoners compares with that @
others. can say, however, that di
not see in the place a single whit
man who had any color 4
his face. I saw many me
who were suffering from seriou
I skin and blood disease, and one maj
whose arm was rendered completed
useless by boils.
have made for many years a stud
OF dietetics, experimenting on myse
and many others, with the result ,