The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-10-23
A DISEASE
TO Be CURED
Sheer Stupidity to Send a Man to Jail
Time After Time for Dmnkeness.
Some Way Must be Found to Help
Him, as He Has Lost All SeIf-ControI.

Our method of dealing with in
ebriety is futile. For the habitual
abuse of liquor breaks down the
power OF the human will to point
where a court sentence has no eff
feet in helping the victim to regain
his self-control.
Under our present system no at
tempt can be made by the court to
learn the causes of drunkenness.
Mere proof that a man has been
drunk suffices the Judge. This is
obviously insufficient, yet sentence
is imposed.
Now, going to Jail does not pun
ish man effectively. If it did, he
would not return for more of the
same treatment. His coming back
proves he has lost all self-control
and that some way must be found
to reach and help him before his
will power has altogether broken
down.
1t is unquestionably sheer stupid
ity to send the same man to Jail
fifty successive times for being
drunk. Yet this thing is being
done.
If such a man is taken, not at his
fiftieth commitment, but at his
third or fourth, and lncarcerated
not in a prison, but in an industrial
or farm colony, and made to work,
it is fairly hopeful that he will have
health and energy enough left to
become useful member of society.
Once chronic drunkard is COM
PEELED to work hard he will realize
the seriousness Of being arrested.
We sentence drunkards to long
terms of imprisonment, clothing,
feeding and housing them. Most
of these men are, or should be, wage
earners. In shutting them up we
are tErusting their families into the
street to get what they can from
private or public charity.
Released prisoners are handi-
capped for life in their effor,s to
earn an honest living. | am conf
dent that large part Of the evil of
our current method Of handling ill.,
ebriety comes from the disgrace
which is cast upon young man
by being sen! to Jail.
The average county Jail is an old
building, poorly equipped, doubt.
fully oficered, over-crowded, with
out proper classification of the pris-
oners, lacking means of exercise,
having little or no systematic in
dustry. Imprisonment in snch a
place does not tend to reform any
one.
Owing largely to the congestion
of low wage workers in large cities,
the increased cost of living and the
twentieth century pressure of in
dustrial life. public intoxication in
creases constantly. But our meth
cd of dealing with inebriety has
made no progress during the last
100 years.
To build up a policy which will
lead to prevention and cure, chronic
intemperance must be considered
not as a misdemeanor but as a
disease.
Our jails, long places of futile
punishment, must become moral
hospitals.
To bring this about, Massachu-
setts is working on a plan whereby
the so-called chronic drunkard will
be put into confinement very much
as if he were mildly insane. The
place of Incarceration will be a farm
colony, where the patient will be
given hygienic conditions and put
to work.
Such man must work hard and
usefully.
He must earn money and the
money must be given to his family.
He must stay in confinement un-
til he has conquered his habit.
He must go back to his old sur
roundings Oh probation.
Coupled with this proposed re-