Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-28
PRISON
COMMISSION
MAKES REPORT
Legislature Asked to Pro-
vide for Revolutionizing
System Of Dealing With
Jail and "Pen" Prisoners.

DeS MO1neS, May T.-The iowa
prison probe commission after almost
a year Of investigation, today sub
mitted it's report to Gov. B. F. Car
roll. The report states that the COM
mission has found the Iowa penal sys-
tenn to be archaic and entirely made
quate and several radical changes
which are recommended are carefully
outlined. The report carries detailed
plans for revolutionizing the methods
of dealing with prisoners in jails, re-
formatories and penitentiaries.
Prison farms of penal colonies are
the foundation stones of the new idea
in dealing with prisoners. For the Ft.
Madison state penitentiary the com.
mission recommends farm OF 1000
acres where all first term prisoners
and short term men should serve their
sentences and the substitution Of dis
trict farms for jails in which SEN
tences are served. The teaching OF
scientific agriculture to the prisoners
by instructors of Iowa agricultural
college is recommended. The commits
sion, whose members were Attorney
General Cosson, Judge M. A. Roberts
of Ottumwa and Farley Sheldon OF
Ames, asks that the next general as
sembl y act upon the recommended
tions.
Contract System Held Slavery.
The contract system now in vogue
in Iowa and other states is the worst
form of slavery because 1t is dele
gated form of slavery, says the re-
port. Authority and responsibility
should go hand in hand. but this can
not be with the contract system.
The prison probe was ordered by
Gov. Carroll following the publication
of series of articles in an Iowa City
newspaper relative to conditions in
the penitentiary at, Fort Madison. The
editor Of the paper charged the war
den with cruelty and the state board
of control with mismanagement while
considerable complaint was made
against unsanitary conditions at Fort
Madison. - -.v@.
The charges against Warden San
ders, according to the report, are
without foundation and the board OF
control is praised for its manage
ment outside the prison, while its in
side management Is severely critl-
cized.
Against Working convicts on Roads.
The commission intends to have
the state add a number Of industries
to the prison, where the inmates will
manufacture things and their product
compete in the open market. The
findings Of the commission convince
it's members that under the new sys-
tenn in Iowa the state penal institu-
tions not only will be self supporting
within a few years, but at later
period actually will turn surplus
into the state treasury. The commits
sion is absolutely against the employ
ment of convicts on the public high
ways on road work, or hiring them
out under local public officials or prt-
vate individuals to do any kind OF
labor.
However, the commission thinks a
limited number Of. convicts carefully
selected by the warden and put upon
the honor system. in civilian clothes.
at the regular wages of an artisan Of
that class, an excellent reform. If the
new system is adopted the commits
sion directs that the institution at
Anamosa, the reformatory, pay es-
pecial attention to the development
Of trades school and general
SCnOOl SYSTEM
jail System Held Disgrace.
Perhaps the most caustic OF the
many findings of the commission are
the biting paragraphs against the jail
system, which Is characterized as a
disgrace to the state. The fee system
for paying sheriffs is branded as "ab-
solutely indefensible" and should be
abolished by the next general assem-.
bly,.
At the state hospital for inebriates
at Knoxville, where a great many hus-
ky men have not tap of work to do
during the greater part Of the year,
the commission found food for some
good body blows
Enforced IdIeness Crime.
Enforced idleness is not only a
crime against the prisoner and his
family, but it is economic idiocy," the
report says "This is true whether the
idleness is part of our system of
punishment of felons or mtsdemean-
ants, in other words, whether 1t is a
part of the penitentiary system or a
part Of the Jail system, except where
the Jail is used merely as a place Of
detention.
Eve believe there Is something
radically wrong in any institution
where any considerable number of
able-bodied men are in idleness or
where any individual capable of labor
is kept in idleness for any consider
able period Of time
In the colony system the members
of the commission see in the near fu-
L
criminals classified according to the
degree of their crime and their desires
to reform and not shuffled into one
pack as they are today. Colonies for
women are urged. Boys colonies are
Endorsed.