The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-12-11
THE PROBLEMS
OF PRISONS
A Great Gulf Separates the Officials and
the inmates. but Kindness is Bridging
ii and Men are Redeemed Where
Cruelty Would not Affect.

Inmates of prisons may be regard
ed as a composite man, for in any
collection of human beings, from a
family to nation. there is the larg-
err man, which organizes itself in
human form-with head, trunk,
limbs, and organs. One group rep
resents the brains, another the phys
ical powers: the stomach is figured
by the purveyors of food, and these
analogies may be followed indeti-
nitely; they are not fanciful, but ac-
tual. He is all here, but is prevent
ed from functioning freely. His
reaction against this repression of
free action-a repression far more
physical than mental-gives unna-
tural energy to the faculties and
tends to lead into certain special
channels, such as the falsity of hu-
man justice, the overpowerine de-
sire to be at liberty; emotions of re-
sentiment, resignation, hope, despair,
impulses OF antagonism or of good
will toward others; moods of irony,
cynicism, and even humor; good or
evil preoccupation of all kinds. In
this way large reservoirs of human
force are collected, which can get no
relief from expression. and therefore
corrode aud distort the mind.
But prisoners at that are no diff
erent clay from other folks. They
are, if anything, different in that
they are more sensitive, more sympa-
thetic, more apprecialive. and more
trustful, once their confidence is
gained, than the average person.
They love the world and wish it
we'll. The average prisoner-even
the old timer" serving third or
fourth sentence-will advise against
a life of crime with all the earnest
ness and logic he Is capable of COM
manding. But the prisoner, with
his good qualities, has his faults, many
of them. He is always looking for
the best of it, and, from his stand
point, why shouldn't he get it? He
is prisoner (the word is not pleas
ant to hear). 1t carries stigma of
shame and disgrace. 1t is lasting.
He is declared unfit to live among
his people; his movements are re-
stricted; he can not move or speak
without the consent of an official; he
is stripped of his citizenship; his
home narrow cell; he is helpless;
has lost all-everything a man val
ues in this world. The prisoner
knows all this full well. To him
the best of it is the worst that the
free man can imagine.
This is the body corporate and
the proposition the man or men
charged with the care, keeping and
discipline of prisoners have to con-
tend with. The problems to be
solved are difficult, and a gigantic
task confronts the warden of any
penltentiary. While the power of
most wardens is as nearly absolute
as mortal power can be, it is neces-
sary, if he is expected to accomplish
anything. The demands of his po.
sition are great-greater than any
other person in the whole commu-
nifty. Upon his say-so depends the
hope or despair of the prisoners, but
we are convinced that the average
warden is anxious for the uplift and
untiring in promoting the welfare of
the men under him.
A great honor is due the prison
official who voluntarily treats the
prisoner with justice and mercy,
whose radius of human action is cir
cumscribed only by the book of reg
ulations. Harsh traditional usuages
are gradually being eliminated and
there are but few now who persist
In delaying the realization of ad-
vanced ideas in the handling of law
breakers. But no intelligent reform
OF abuses can be effected until they
have been authoritively acknowl-
edged, and the remedies necessary
to relieve and cure evils understood.
Improvement is slow, and gross an