Norwich bulletin., 1913-07-23
JAILS DO NOT MEET
 NEEDS OF DAY.
Judge Warner Of Putnam Speaks or
 Problems of Crime at Groton.

Judge E. M. Warner of Putnam. chairman of prison and jail work, State Y. P. s. C. E.. on Sunday morn ing at the Groton Baptist church, gave an address on the subject, "Un- quenchabIe Faith in Human Nature"
 The great characteristic of the Christian religion is hope for the hopeless strength for the weak, sal VatiOn for the lost Appeal is made to the Christian Church because there has always been found sympathy and help even for the undeserving.
 The divine spark is seen in the most degraded drualkard or confirmed crim- inal and all sources of power and skill are levied upon to rescue and reform him.
 D you regard the civilization of this day as a failure? Have Gods good plans been frustrated and defeated? cannot think so. In spite of evil, in spite of crime this world as a whole IS improving, growing better each year. The civilization which can pro- duce such triumphs in science, art and religion as are now seen is not a fail- ure. No, this busy rushing world of ours is a grand opportunity for the de- Velopment of all the powers of all men.
 Tn considering crime perhaps I can we'll divide my subject into three parts Condition, Cause, Cure
 Condition: Best statistics show that there are in the United States 10O.0 900 in prison, 100000 in $500 jails and 100000 awaiting trial making a total of 100000. This army of criminals of grades high and low is virtually at war with society and is a tremendous and growing burden. This great num- Der does not represent the real total for almost daily some of these men are released to mingle again in society and generally to degrade and contam- mate 1t and others take their places in jail. One of the best penologists es- inmates that this vast horde of idlers costs the country $700,000,000 an nually.
 Six years experience as former judge of the police court of Putnam has confirmed me in the opinion that a radical change should be attempted in the laws relating to drunkards and other petty criminals. So far as our jailS are concerned, while they are managed in a humane manner, and the cruel horrors of the jails of for mer centuries do not now prevail yet the confinement is solely for the pur- pose of getting the victim out of sight of the public for a short time and not in any way to reform him or consider his case from a scientific point of view
 There is absolutely no attempt, while he is in jail, to bring about his reformation, and prevent his coming back. In fact, he is expected to come back.
 The drunkard occupies the atten- tion of the police and our city courts Rost of the time. In his latent pos sibilities of being a man I have the greatest hope for him, but in his pres ent degraded, idle, loafng disposition I confess I have no sympathy and lit tie patience.
 The Drunksrd.
 The drunkard is both a cause and 1ffA Se,4 waste of manhood and money, but he is the effect and the result of a system of criminal law so absurd ineffective and wicked as to be almost beyond belief. He is the blossom and fruit and finished product of the saloon system combined with the silly and absurd police court punishment of fine and imprisonment.
 The jail population of our eight counties will average about 1000 all the time, but of course there are more than that number of petty criminals and rounders in the state.
 The rounder with longest record I konw of is about fifty years of age. His name first appears on the jail record May 30 1878, when he was has been presented for drunkenness more than 200 times. and has spent about thirty five years in jail for drunkenness. AS soon as he-is~dis- cnarSed ne lHlneuldIe1y gets QfunK, IS arrested, and brought back to jail. At @ low estimate he has been a burden to the state of from eight to ten thousand dollars.
 The prosecution of these rounders is a large and needless waste.
 The cost of prosecution, 24,000 cases at S10 each is $240,000, the lost of wages, $500,00O, and board in jail paid by the state $1S0,000, a total of S870,000.
 As the law is now, thirty days is the limit of confinement for drunken ness. This is worthless as deter rent. The rounder welcomes such a sentence. In cold weather he deliber- ately seeks the jail.
 At New Haven fire in the jail a large number of prisoners for time were permitted to leave the jail susi&hnzrk a a1lard- ,WhAn thev ret1irnad