United labor bulletin., 1913-09-13
About Prison Reform Movement
Continued from Page ~

| SnauOWed, dlSfrancnlSed. 1 WOulu
have nearly mastered my trade by
this time and drawing double pay. But
why shouldn't l suffer? l had COM
mitted- crime against society and
even though it was committed with
an alcoholic brain and in the thought
lessness of youth under evil influ-
ences, was amenable to society, and
society must be amelicrated, and SO
society though that could be done by
committing a greater crime against
me-"
Where are you going?" l Ven
Where are you going?" 1 ven
tured to ask. "Oh, anywhere, every
where. have but mere pittance to
exist on until | find work. How in
tensely / looked forward to the day 1
would be twenty-one and could vote.
| am now without a country. l have
been robbed by society of my char
acter and my citizenship"
In that throng of humanity which
presses from a heavy train to the
streets of a great city, l caught the
last glimpse of the drowning man.
Someone was responsible for trying to
kill the best within him. While the
young man talked, / wrote this on a
card and as he left me / handed it to
him, Down at the foot of 25th street
on the East iSde is a refuge. One OF
the principle reasons for its existance
/ is, that ii was built as heaven fo-
those who unluckily have been in the
state prison. II will help you to find
work. and re-establish yourself in
society. You will not find any police
men there, nor brutal, blacmkailing.
thieving detectives, nor the howl of
bloodhounds through its corridors. You
will find 1, a house of welcome. OF
health. OF help. OF encouragement. 1t
is New York City's Free Municipal
Emergency Home"
"Sing-Sing." one of the most noted
prisons in the world. This institution.
for n hundred years reproach upon
the state of New York. still exists. /
wanted to Investigate this institution
in a tentative way. by actual expert
ence as a prisoner. which was impos-
sible. I decided to get employment
within its walls Having discovered
that all prison positions were granted
by Civil Service only. was compelled
to gather my information second
hand by taking up my residence as
near as possible to the ponderous
steel barred doors.
/ II was late in the afternoon. garbed
la the clothes of a working man. 1
climbed Prison hill and was directed
| by a prison keeper. whom ! met on
| the street TO a boarding house over
looking the prison. Yes, the land
lady could give me a room providing /
had no objection to a roommate.
asked who he was. and what he did.
She said. He is prison keeper.
Certainly ] had no objection. in fact.
/ I much preferred roommate In a
short time my roommate came He
was a ssrrulous. bright. intelligent.
big, kind hearted young fellow who
had been prison keeper for three
years There were seven Other
prison keepers in the house was
seated at table with nothing but
prison keepers.
From conversation found tlat the
prison keeper feels he Is overworked
and poorly paid. which has tendency
to not keep him in a very amiable
frame of mind or mood toward his
charges. I was told he receive fifty
five dollars per month for the first
three years OF service. after which he
receives seventy-five dollars. He
works every day in the year. except
being allowed fifteen days of each
year for vaction. which comes in
. "a. a..
not the only reason found the prison
keepers brutal and embittered in ex-
preston and feeling toward the pri-
soners For the brutal spirit exists in
every Jail and prison in our country
which | have found from actual ex.
perience. II is o part of the system
which can't be denied and continues
TO engender social confusion.
There are employed from ninety to
one hundred and twenty-five prison
keepers in Sing Sing. II costs them
thirty dollars n month for board and
laundry.
These men should all be farm over.
seers and be fed and sheltered by the
production of the farm as an adjunct
to their small pay. where because OF
the outdoor life they would be better
qualified in heart. mind. and body for
their work.
asked one of the eekpers who was
on night shift and complained of be
ing weary. What do you do at nightl
Aren't all the prisoners asleep. and
can't you rest?"
NO" he said. they are not all
asleep. They try to sleep. At the
slightest sound. even the call OF a
loon on the river or the cry of a cat
they all spring to their feet and
pandemonium reigns for n time"
what is II puts them in that fear