Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-07-10
IOWA JAILS CONDEMNED
Iowa Prison Commission Says They
Are Three Centuries Be-
hind Times.
THEY SHOULD BE ABOLISHED.
Prisoners Should be Made to Work
on Farms, be Paid and be Made
Self-SuppOrting.

The management of our penitent-
lary and reformatOry is not up to the
standard of some of the leading pen
al institutions of the country. Our
jail system is disgrace to the
state, and except as a place of deten-
tion for persons awaiting trial, there
is not single excuse or justification
tor its existence.
That is what the Cosson commits
sion reports as to Iowa jails. Hav-
ing set out to find what was the mat
ter at the state prison and gone on to
snow that there was need of complete
revision of the whole penal system,
the commission found it wise to go
right to the bottom and investigate
as TO the jails; and having so in
vestigated it is found that both as to
prisons and jails Iowa is several CEN
turies behind the times
The jail condition in Iowa. how
ever. is not peculiar to Iowa but "the
Jail system IN America is everywhere
looked upon as an inexcusable relic
OF barbarism." The indictment
against Iowa jails is sweeping.
The Iowa Jail which is sanitary, ad-
mits plenty of sunshine and in which
there is any proper segregation of
prisoners is the rare exception and
not the rule
In some places jails are small and
dirty, some are not safe, in many
counties there is no separate apart
ment Tor women, IN son.e counties
intoxicating liquors and various
forms of dope are permitted to be
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 con-
nected 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 il absolutely
imperative that we should entirely
eliminate the county jail in so far as
| II is used as place of confinement
or punishment of person convicted
lof crime, and that in all such m
Istances the offender should, in the
event that he has violated state law
and been sentenced to confinement,
be sent to some district penal in
stitution Under the absolute jurisdic-
| tion and control of the state
In accordance with this sugges-
tion the commission recommends the
establishment of at least three dis
trict penal farms to 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
to comprise at least section of lard
All who are convicted OF any crime
less than a felony should be either
sent to one of these penal colonies or
he released on fine or parole. I'VE
believe says the commission, that
the time has arrived when the inde-
terminate sentence law shoald also
be applied 10 misdemeanants 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. black
smithing. etc. There should be pro-
vision so that every person can find
employment every day in the year.
1t three farms are equipped one
might be for confinement and treat
ment of men with sexual diseases.
with means of segregation: another
for men not fit for the insane hos
Eital hut on the border line of in
sanity; and another especially for
caring for persons of tufercular ten
dt ncies. Perhaps all classes could
he provided at each farm, at any
rate there should be segregation for
these classes.
Nnere the commitment is for in
toxication the board of parole might
be empowered to transfer to the in
ebriate hospital at Knoxville.
A city ought to have the power to
sentence to one of these state penal
farms for violation of city ordi-
nances. As to punishment for in
toXicati6n 1t Is recommended that the
limit be raised to 90 days.
Criticism is made oil the institp
!ion at Knoxville because no indus
tries are provided for the inmates
there.
There should be some isolated
colony especially for the punishment
of women, and the indeterminate
sentence system be applied to them.
The commission makes frequent
reference to what is being ac-
complshed elsewhere as proof 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 re-
forms can actually be accomplished.
The reports OF the Cosson commits
sion regarding the Jail system fits in
nicely with the report made TO the
governor at the same time as TO the
prison system. On this branch OF
7 the subject the conclusion was reach
} ed that the fault is not with men OF
| with methods but with the whole
, system and it would be wise to COM
mence over again. For the Jail sys-
J TEN OF punishment for misdemean-
, ants there should he district pena
/ farms.
| As a substitute for the prison and
r reformatory we now have there
Continued on last page.)