Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-08-09
The Maine State Prison at Thomas

The Maine State Prison at Thomas
ton.
| read a recent communication, pup
| lished in Portland paper written
by Eugene V. Allen. Chaplain OF the
Prison, stating that Warden Ham was
bringing about some reforms In the
prison. Mr.. Allen wrote me letter
along the same lines. and in answer
ing it l wrote him that | had no DOUBT
but what he, as well as Warden Ham,
were doing all they could to brlhs
about long needed reforms, but l had
no faith or even hope that they eoula
do much under present conditions.
The first thought that came to my
mind, after looking the old prison over,
was that it must have been planned
and built for the sole purpose to pun
ish wrong doers. and with no Thought
whatever of making them better eitl-
zens Punishment ought not to be the
only object of confining men ana
women within prison walls. Pfotec-
ton te society comes first; then the
improvement of. the prisoner II tor
ture and punishment are the only OBJ
jects, then the old prison Will nave TO
be called a perfect success. If new
and up To date humane prison Is
built, (and | believe one Will be IN the
not distant future), the old one ought
to remain intact To be looked at as
a place of torture only. Think of
human being confined for years i'll
little den only large enough Tor u
narrow bed and chair. Recent in
vestigation disclosed the fact that the
of 0f these cells MAS
sufficient to supply fresh air enough
for it's occupant for only fifteen min
utes. Little ventilation, however, Is
possible under present conditions
The cell door is so low and narrow
that man of medium size must
stoop and go in sideways on entering.
There are only ten cells, as recall
fit to put a prisoner in, were ehes
properly ventilated. Think OF II, peo-
pie of Maine. who sleep with your
windows open to let in the pure ar
of the Pine Tree State. that costs
nothing and should be free to every nv
ing creaturei Think what 1t Woala DC
especially in hot weather to take d
slop pail, retire to one of these aehs
in near proximity to over TWO nun
dred others, and remain there from
sunday at noon to Monday morning.
eating. drinking and sleeping there,
with the iron door closed all the Tune
Is that sanitary? Is that decent. Is
that humane? If it is, what neea Oh
spending so much money Tor safa'a
ton and health officers? Better use
the money for some useful PURPOSE
Humanity in Maine demands d
change in our prison system. me
voters of our State did away with
capital punishment, yet it would be.
in cases of Imprisonment for llte' 1ar
better to return at once to that meth
cd of punishment, rather than 10
SLOWLY Kill them by destructive en-
vironments. Very few men that have
a life sentence can live long enough
in the prison at Thomaston to enlist
the sympathy of the people of our
State to help them to go out once
more and look at the beautiful world.
A very small percent of them are ever
able to do so.
The door of hope ought never to
be entirely closed to any human De
ing. A young person, past the age 10
be committed to reform school anu
sent to prison. ought to have chahee
to acquire little education, at least
and for good behavior, a little money
as well as the shortening of tlme'
should be set aside to be paid him
when discharged, to enable MIN eo
commence life anew. Under present
conditions, a discharged prisoner goes
out with cheap suit of clothes ana
very little money, looking for employ
ment. About the first question asked
is where he came from. When this
question is answered, he is rejected.
The few dollars soon slip away, ana
if assistance is asked, he is arrested
tried for vagrancy. committed to jail
and he is again back on the road 10
prison.. The hopeful signs of the
times are that the people are de-
ma anyiing fuller knowledge of the
facts, and asking each other now TO
bring about the desired result.
A new and up-to-date prison should
he built nearer the center of popuia-
ton, with better railroad faciilties'
plenty of water and good land enough
for farming purposes. Then some oil