Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-11-05

ties that have a great number of pEis-1
cners.
In many II the larger counties it
seems to be the opinion of the coun-
ty officials and mapy leading citizens.
that well able-hodied men should
earn more working on our reads or
on . farm than they do now in a
weI,k shop, il they have one. If they |
do. not have even a shop, then they
earn nothing. ON the road or farm
they would be nearer seif-supporting, |
healthier and better able to get a |
living at the end of their term.
Bangor Jail in Penobscot county is
in about the same condition as Hou1- |
ton. i<ennebec has about the same
number of sprisoners and about the
same conditions as the ones stated
above. the same remedy applying. AL
fred Jail ina York county, has - pris-
ont4s, lis lin " 4 farming community
where farm lands are handy and labor
needed ION the highway. Ellsworth
JAN has one man He was hoefng in
the garden when | was there; seemed
to have it his own way.
The small jails that have from five
to 10 prisoners have some spare men
who should be put at work ON the
public highway. Labor in the county,
town, small cities and villages where
the small jails are located is often
scarce, and high in the summer sea
son
no build a proper kind of work.
shep that would onerate profitably,
with a small ana ever changing lot
ef prisoners. is a difficult problem for
solution. If plan can be worked out,
however, that viii give IL prisoner a
chance to earn more money so the
county could realize more for his
labor than 1t does now, and place a
part of the Increase to the mans
credit, To be paid him when discharg-
ed. thus enabling him to start anew. Il
would I've an incentive to try to do his
best = Their the county, as well as the
man. would he benefited / believe
lit 5fweuld serve To turn the average
prisoners mind into a better, straight
. or wider channel This should, or
oasht 10 appeal to the best side of
ANY man that has a morsel of man
hood left, and the majority of pris-
o1ers are not entirely depraved or is
their case hopeless. Let them have q
fair chance, and then decide the case
after, the evidence Is all IN.
1 believe the people of our several
counties are waking up to the stun
ton as never before, and | have full
confidence in the people that their
desire is to do the best thing for
themselves and the people confined in
our jails and prisons. morally and
otherwise The subject of prison re-
form is in the air. and the thinking
people all over Maine are looking the
matter up carefully, and are sure to
work out good results that the peo-
pie of the State will be proud of, as
time passes.
| am often asked by county officials
throughout the State. how the inebri-
ates home in the county of Cumher-
land is panning out All l can say to
them is that it is an experiment as
, far as this State goes. at least l
venture the assertion here and now
that it will be. carefully watched, to
see if it will he worthy of imitation
or application After it appears 20
me. as we'll as many others, that the
large counties should have an, inebri7
ates home, 5on.a farm land that Is
bound to Gomez. then men and women
will also be sent there for other
crimes than drunkenness, and not De
allowed tespass so much Idle time as
they do now in the county jalIs. CUR
legislators always make changes when
the people demand them The signs
If the times RON point to chanse
in our prison system. 1t is sure TO
come.
Tho inehriates home for Cumberland
f,nntv is situated at South Windham,
contains 3S5 acres of land. large neids
fAee from rocks or stumps, good TOT
my. grain. potatoes and any crop
that can be grown any where IN
Maine: nicely located near eiectrle
and steam railroads, nine miles noi'i
, Of Portland and cost $4,000. The farm
! was formerly run as a fahcS stoeN
farm. The building have been uiuei-
going changes. this year. Inc county
commissioners have the FUNDS on manu-
to put up additional buildings
needed. Our county ofilcials ana
iudges of the court are going carefully
, on the start, and feeling tlfeT way
along. as il appears, and trying 10 put
, II on as sound a basis as possible
The people of the county have great
hope and faith that 1t Will be a great
benefit to weak men who have oeeh
made weak by too free use of spiritu-
Gus liquors and drugs.
The present capacity of the County
farm is 20 men Since May q, 1913, there
have been % sent to the farm From
Aug. 80 to Get 9, II have been paroled, |
leaving II ON the farm at the present
time, The people of the county as We'll
as all over Maine are tired of So 60 ans
90-day sentences to the JAIL. and want
to try something else for a change Il |
seems as though it would be we'll TO es |
tablish hospital at the home, for the |
care of alcoholism and the drug habit, |
The other nearby counties could patron
ize it until they have one of their OWN |
The prisoners on the farm do the most |
of the work and go and come ON 1t the |
same as any farm help. They have good
food, good beds and do not have to weal
clothes that distinguish them from tn
other farm hands, and are kindly treat
ed. With no prison walls to detain. very
few run away. and in my opinion ar
better situated to improve in every way
than they would be in iail or amy wall