The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-10-31

~>~'"@S~O ILL TCIoA CW LCH1lIC4LU AISHWHEC
entered an element that was unhought of former.
ly This new element has to do with the recama.
uon OF the convics. the development Of their moral
senses and their ultimate return to the world as
law-abding citizens rather than as human derelicts
made unfit, through their prison life for any fur
ther attempt to lead honest existence.
The new idea of convict road labor Is to aid
both the state and the convict; to give the state
the benefit of the labor that can be utilized to
greater advantage in this way than in any other
and to give the convict the benefit of the out
door life the freedom from the restraint of prison
walls and the different character of discipline that
makes 1t possible for him to regain his selfrespect
In working out this idea, especially with
the view to the reformation of the convicts, old
ideas of prison regulations necessarily have dsap.
peared and the whole system of discipline has been
reVoutionized. The honor system has taken the
place of armed guards in many instances and the
road camp" has replaced the stockades and bull
pens" of the old days of convict road labor
Colorado was one of the first states to adopt the
new idea. New Jersey began experiments along
the same line short time later. President Wood.
row Wilson. then governor of New Jersey, is given
credit for the Inauguration Of the convict road
work In that state along the new lines Several
other states have fallen in line each working
possibly In different way but toward the same
general end
Illinois Is the latest state to make begin
ming In this work. force of nearly one hun.
dred convcts was recently taken from the peni.
Tertiary at Joliet and placed at work on the
roads, Armed guards were dispensed with and
the men were placed upon their honor The
conVicts pledged themselves to make no effort
to escape and the authorities are relying upon
their keeping this promise
In this case tendency soon developed on the
part of the people to overdo the idea of giving
the convicts greater liberty and pleasure
plan to give the convicts an automobile ride
and theater party in nearby city was pro.
posed to the authorities, but Governor Dunno
vetoed this program and let it be understood that
while 1t is planned to give the convicts greater
freedom than they have been accustomed to
within the prison walls and to aid them in get
ting better view Of life,' the fact that they
nave been sentenced to pay penalty for in
fraction of the states laws must not be forgot
ten and the men must be made to realize that
punishment awaits such violations of the stat
utes.
The working of convcts upon the roads in
Colorado was made possible only few years
ago by act of the legislature. The system has
been generally adopted throughout the state
during the past two or three years, the various
counties cooperating with the state in the i'm
provement of the highways The result is seen
in many miles Of splendid roads built by the
Convicts.
The honor system adopted simultaneously
with the placing Of the convlcts on the roads
in Colorado All of the convicts were not
turned loose from the penitentiary without
guards. but certain percentage Of the prison.
ers, including those having the best prison rec.
ords, were taken from the penitentiary first as
an experiment. As the success Of the expert
ment seemed evident to the authorities, the num-
Der of honor" men was increased and more
than SO per cent. of the convicts finally
removed from the prison and placed In the road \
camps.
Warden lyman and other prison authorities de-
clare the experiment has been even more sue
cessful than they anticipated.
During the last three years we have had more
than one thousand individual prisoners in the
convict camps" says the warden. These men.