The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-07
B0TKIN is BUSY
Every Man His Brother, Even
Though a Criminal.
Works for Their Reformation
and Return to Society.

BOtkin who succeeded ]. K. Coddfng as
warden of the Kansas state peniten-
tiary at Leavenworth, has adopted a
system which he believes, will do much
toward reforming his charges. For a
month prior to his becoming warden he
served as chaplain, during which he
came in close contact with the con-
victs and formed some ideas as To
what prison conditions should be. He
regards every man, in or out of prison,
as his brother, and on this he in
tends to base his treatment OF the
criminals in his charge.
Jerry Botkin, as he Is more tamil
iarly known, grew to manhood on Hi
nois and Kansas farms. In youth he
played in a brass band and fiddled for
country dances. AT the age of nine
teen he joined the Methodist Episcopal
church and soon afterward he re-
turned to Illinois and went into the
pulpit, Thirty years ago he was trans
ferred to the southwest Kansas con-
ference, of which he is still mem
Der. After serving two years In the
ministry he went to Greencastle, lnd.'
where he attended college for year
He was reared a Rel ublican, but fin
ally became a Populist, and in 1886 he
was elected ongressman-at-large by a
fusion of Populists and Democrats. In
1908 he was the Democratic nominee
for governor When Governor Hodges
offered him the vardenship OF the pen1-
tertiary he accepted
IT regard every man, in prison or
out as my brother, although 1 find
that some of my brothers are instinc-
tive criminals and have to be re-
strained" said the new warden. Some
are made criminals by environments;
some are in prison because of some
sudden and violent temptation. All
possess some good. My experience and
observation is that liquor does more to
fill our prisons than any other crime.
Most of the parole violations are trace
able directly to this habit. We have
here today a young man who, when
he was received brought a letter from
the late Stanford White of New York,
giving him a high recommendation as
an architect of promise and one whose
work had already commanded atten-
ton. A short time ago he was paroled
and appeared to be getting along all
right. For two months we lost track
of him. Then we heard of him at
Maryville, Mo-, drunk. There was
nothing to do but to send for him.
which we did. and now he must serve
his sentence.
a place to wreak vengeance upon the
criminal is repugnant to the sentiment
of our times. The modern and humane
thought is that punishment for crime
consists of depriving the criminal of
liberty and requiring him to perform
useful labor. The fundamental pur-
pose of it oil is reformation.
"There are at present between 500
and 900 inmates of this penitentiary,
about 60 of them being women. There
are SO life termers and others whose
sentences amount to lifetime. Many
of these sentences probably will be
committed. 1t is safe to say that from
80 to 95 per cent of the present inmates
will return to society. The state should
be. and is, concerned about the refor-
nation of these people.
81 firmly believe in the efficacy of the
old gospel in the reformation of men,
and my study of the people confined
here has convinced me that what is
needed in the office Of chaplain is a
man with a heart as well as mind
one who has compassion for the fall
len and who has ability to influence
and lead men, and I have been very
careful in selecting such man for
this position. The Rev. Harmon Allen
of Caney, Kan, is now in charge and
is proving his great efficiency.
TT is my theory that no man can
be reformed in idleness, and that no
man after reformation, can make good
in idleness. The effort is to keep all
these men busy at some employment
Few busy men are criminals. They
have neither the time nor the inclina-
ton. 1 believe in the work habit, and
we are going to drill work into all the
inmates here SO that when they go out
they will continue to work. Not all
the men here can be taught a trade,
but they can all be led to form the
habit of sustained labor as well as
learn how to work. Rigid discipline
must be maintained in the interest of
the proper government of the prison
and for the additional reason that it
is vitality important for these prison
ers to learn the habit of obedience to
proper rule and authority.
so far 1 have made but few changes
from the system employed by Warden
Codding, but there are a number of
things which I believe can be i'm
proved and which 1 shall bring about
as early as possible