The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-15
WHAT TO Do WITH THE CONVICT

New York Sun: The public as q
whole was easily aroused to the I'M
portance of preventing the spread Of
tuberculosis by scientific methods.
But it took far longer to show the
public the necessity Of scientific and
revolutionary methods of preventing
and trying to eradicate the spreading
OF crime. For that reason It Is only
OF comparatively recent years that
state after state and city after city
has thrown itself into investigation
and experiment which was begun long
ago by a few individuals and organi-
cations, one OF which, the Prison As
sociation OF New York, has been en-
gagged on the problem for nearly sew
enty years.
Nowadays children are not hanged
on Tyburn Hill for larceny nor on
any other hill. And adults convicted
OF serious offense against society are
executed only as last resort Today
men are not. locked up in dirty, dis
ease breeding cells. as rule, nor are
| they branded with hot irons, led on
| vermin infested bread and driven to
| feel that the world world is against
them with appraised fist On the con-
| trary. efforts are being made to anne
liorate the conditions of prison life
and to help discharged convicts to
get new start in the world.
Glance at few items OF informa-
ton taken from a vofuminous mass Of
/ the files OF the Prison Association of
New York.
Sixty convicts working on honor
near Bellefonte. Pa, beginning the
construction OF new penitentiary
which is expected to be one Of the
4 model prisons of the world.
Kansas reporting that OF all the
states prisoners released on parole
4 only 1e per cent have violated their
/ parole.
New Jersey experimenting success
fully with convict labor on road build
ing In the fresh air and sunshine Not
a single case OF characterization.
! The federal prison at Atlanta re
porting that only two out Of III pris
oners released on parole have been
returned for breaking their word Of
honor.
Two counties in Pennsylvania plan
ming to cooperate in maintaining on,
penal farm. where prisoners can live
and work out of doors in the fields, and
. to close their two county jails.
s Ohio planning prison farm of from
1000 to 1000 acres; Michigan consid
ering the establishment of severa
, such farms: 1000 women of Kansa.
City petitioning the city council t
i remove the so-called women's reform
j atory from the workhouse OF tina
, city to farm near by; Florida pur
, chasing 1860 acres Of "splendit
!; land" for a prison farm. and othe
: states throughout the country havin,
: plans under way or already accom-
plished for taking convicts out o
. cells. giving them a chance to recup
: crate mind and body in the fields, o
: in shops, factories or other industrial
plants all with the hope Of helpinl
them to become good citizens in FL
t ture.
r Only one short century after "chf
dren were hanged on Tyburn hill 70
e larceny Sarah Bernhard and he
0 company gave a performance With
/ the walls OF San Quentin prison, Ca
e ifornia-that performance having tai
t en- place during the past season. An
= at about the same time, when tn
= warden of North Dakota's state pen
l. Tertiary resigned his office, the cor
0 victs who had been under his charg
: rendered him a farewell banquet t
l. express their gratitude for his justic
l. sympathy and helpfulness.
Rather remarkableg Yes; but rea
r further from the files where this Ii
e formation is gathered and stored 1
e matter Of fact way.
= Women prisoners in Milwaukee
= county JAIL recently became so scare
:. that the stenographer and matro
:, had to wait on table"
= During the floods in the middl
: west the 1920 prisoners at the Ind
ana reformatory worked for four day
? and nights, often at their own peri
in effort to save life. limb and pro
= erty OF the citizens OF Jeffersonvill
!. SO effective was the rescue work tn;
afterward the people OF the municips
!, fly gave the prisoners an entertai
:. ment to show their appreciation.
= Times have surely changed In tt
treatment of convicts, and they al
still fast changing. One thing gene
"A ally conceded is the necessity OF Sc
t. regating old offenders from young c
n tenders; yet this is not done ever
q where. Another is that prisone
"A should be employed at some usef
" occupation, preferably at callings tn,
y can practice as means OF livelihot
1, when discharged from confinement
F.nx, cd rroh1o,o,