The Big Sandy news., 1913-07-04

VI tut iunn duu thcid - nv t'hoc'
|any secret about 1t. Whipping bat
man arouses all the savagery ant
vindictiveness in his nature.It make
him hate the law, hate society, mate
his fellow man, and resolve t
wreak terrible vengeance when free
dom comes again. In this mood hs
grows worse and worse and II there
are any hopeless criminals many o.
them probably come from this class
The commission feels that no
much progress can be made toward
reforming convicts II the conduct
of guards is bad. Accordingly an or
der was issued prohibiting Officers
or employees from drinking intoxi
cants on duty, or being found under
the influence of intoxicating liquors
either on or off duty. The penalty
is Dismissal, and six guards have
lost their position for violating the
rule within the past few months.
No officer or employe is allowed
to engage in political activity or to
contribute anything for election pur
poses.
Guards are not permitted to swear
at prisoners, or to strike them ex-
cept clearly in self-defense.
Religious work is being increased
by inviting prominent ministers OF
the various denominations to do
ed into three grades. Instead OF
the striped suits formerly worn by
all the convicts, gray uniforms are
now worn by first and second grade
prisoners. Striped suits are worn
only by third grade prisoners, and
onls ! to / u per cent. of the pop
ulaticr are now in this grade. A
blue cap is the mark OF first grade
prisoners, who are allowed more
privileges than those OF other
grades. 1t is surprising to see how
the men prize the blue cap.
RefoEmatory at Frankfort.
A law passed by the Legislature
in 1910 directed that one OF Ken
tucky's prisons should be converted
into a reformatory and the other
should be the Kentucky Peniten-
tlary," in which shall be incarcerat-
ed all convicts over the age OF 80
years, and such other convicts as, in
the judgment OF the Board OF Com
are habitual criminals or
guilty OF sucn atrorious crimes or
bad conduct as to warrant the board
Ia removing them from the reform
atory. All convicts thirty years of
age or under. except habitual, ETC..
as stated above, are to be confined
in the reformatory.
Finding this law not in effect, the
present Board of Prison Commits
sicrers named the Eddyyille prison
as the penitentiary, for various reas-
-rs. The Frankfort prison was des-
gnated the Kentucky State Reform
atory.W We did this with a full knowl-
edge of the fact that 1t was inn
possible to Immediately carry into
effect the full intention Of the law.
rhe chief obstacles are certain pro-
of longtime contracts for
abor. which we inherited, some Of
hem running until 1919.
One firm has contracts for 1850
nen at Frankfort, used in making
'hoes and brooms. Their contracts
provide that no able-bodied man,
when once assigned, shall be taken
rom them without their consent.
they refuse to surrender
my men who have become skilled
n their particular line of work. This
prevents the transfer of many men
Who snould go to Eddyville. So the
,nly thing possible was to start
,lan that will gradually get the de-
ired result II the Circuit Judges
will help. Regret to say that some
Il them do not seem inclined to
omply with our request, which is
o commit each man when convicted
lirect to that institution to which
his law intended him to go.
There was an act passed in 1910
the commission to give
o the convicts a portion OF their
not to exceed 20 per cent.
+ the average per capita. One of |
ur first acts was to make this law
Elective as of August /. 1912. 1t |
) costing the State $4,000 per
ear, but we believe as a just and
Elective measure it is so important |
hat the cost in dollars and cents |
hould not be considered. Most of |
his money is sent to the families
the convicts.
Night Schools Established.
The Legislature of 1910 also en-
cted law providing for the estab-
shment of schools in the prisons,
mbracing the common branches of
n English education. Under the ex-
sting conditions, with lack of APP
ropriate buildings and equipment
nd no authority to provide them,
18th contracts requiring the men to