Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-27
DISTRICT PENAL COLONIES
SHOULD SUPPLANT JAiLS
Except for Place Of Detention Awaiting
Trial County Prisons Should Be
AboIished-One Great Penal Colony
Suggested to Take Place Of Reforma-
tory.
,ecial TO Times Republican.

LUIS CI the country. our Jail system Is
q Disgrace to tbs state, and except as
4 place of detention for persons await
ing trial, there is not a single excuse or
Justification for its existence"
That is what the Cosson commission
reports as to Iowa jails. Having set
out TO find what was the matter at
the state prison and gone on to show
that there was need Of complete re-
vision of the whole penal system. the
commission found ii wise TO go right
To the bottom and investigate as 70 the
jails; and having SO Investigated it is
found that both as 10 prisons and jails
Iowa is several centuries behind the
times.
The jail condition in Iowa. however,
is not peculiar 10 Iowa but the Jail
system in America is everywhere
looked upon as an ineXcusahe relic OF
Darbarsm." The indictment against
Iowa jails is sweeping.
~ nile III Tie George j uIliui Isept;5
lie for instance, every person, even
if in Tor one day only, was engaged
in profitable labor. at the same
tine there was in Iowa not person
who was committed to our county ia!ls
as q punishment for crime who vas
engaged in any real productive labor.
The Iowa Jail which is sanitary, ad
mirs plenty OF sunshine and in which
there is any proper segregation OF pris
oners, is the rare exception and not the
rule.
Jails Small and Dirty.
In places the jaiIs are small and
dirty. some are not safe. in many coun-
ties there is no separate apartment for
women, in some counties intoxicating
liquors and various forms of dope are
permitted TO De passed to the prisoners.
The fee system in connection with
the jails is indefensible.
In fact the whole present system
fills the description Of being the most
vicious and corrupt agency connected
with our penal system
Abundance of evidence" says the
report from our own state which is
within the possession and knowledge
| OF this committee makes it absolutely
imperative that we should entirely
eliminate the county jail insofar as it
is used as place of confinement or
punishment Of person convicted of
crime. and that in all such instances
the offender should, in the event that
he has violated state law and been
sentenced to confinement. be sent to
some district penal institution under
! the absolute Jurisdiction and control OF
the state"
District Penal Farms Needed.
II accordance with this suggestion
the commission recommends the es-
tabhsnnent Of at least three district
penal farms 10 be located in various
parts Of the state, the most accessible
to the communities whence would
come the largest number Of prisoners
and sufficient distance from any city
or town as to prevent the mingling Of
prisoners with free citizens but with
reasonable railroad facilities. each
penal farm or colony 20 comprise at
least a section Of land.
All who are convicted Of any crime
less than felony should be either sent
to one Of these penal colonies or be
released on fine or parole. We be-
lieve," says the commission. that the
time has arrived when the irdetermi
nate sentence law should also be ap-
piled 10 u,isdemeanants. The short
term sentence of from two days to two
weeks is as wrong as it is foolish"
The district penal farms proposed
would have allied industries Of dairy
ing, poultry, stock raising, blacksmith
ing. etc. There should be provision so
that every person can find employment
every day in the year. If three farms
are equipped one might be for con-
fnement and treatment Of men with
sexual diseases with means Of segre-
CATION another for men not fit for the
insane hospital but on the border line
Of insanity: and another especially for
caring for persons Of tupercu!ar
tendencies. Perhaps all classes could
be provided at each farm. at any rate
there should be segregation for these
classes.
Colony For Women.
Where the commitment is for intoxi-
cation the board Of parole might be
empowered to transfer to the inebriate
hospital at Knoxville.
4 city ought to have the power to
sentence to one Of these state penal
farms for violation of city ordinances.
AS to punishment for intoxication it is
recommended that the limit be raised
I to ninety days.
/ Criticism is made of the institution
at Knoxville because no industries are
i prov ided ffor The inmates there.
There should be some Isolated colony
especially for the punishment of wom-
en-, and the irdeterminate sentence
! system be applied to them.
The commission makes frequent ref
erence to what is actually being &C
| complshed elsewhere as proof of that
these plans for reforming the Iowa
penal by beginning at the foundation
| is not at all utopian. The records of
institutions elsewhere are filled with
| facts showing that great reforms can
actually be accomplished.
| Should Work Prisoners.
AS substitute for the prison and
reformatory we now have there should
| be one great penal farm or colony, To-
| Gated near the State Agricultural Col
| isse, where the long terners convicted
Of felonies might learn agriculture an6
engage in profitable labor. No patch
ing up Of the prison should be toler-
ated. It would afford means for seq
regation Of the different classes Of con.
victs. There should be compensation
to the prisoner fo- h!s labor. TIT
whole contract prison labor system