The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-08-28
The REFORMATION
OF THE PRISON
The Reforms Being Made in Prison, and
in the Mode Of Handling Prisoners,
and in the Judiciary, will Help to Re-
form Over 95 Per Cent of the Inmates.
81 serve him truthfully that will

L serve him truthfully that will
put me in trust."-Shakespeare.
We believe that 95 per cent OF
all those incarcerated in penal in
stitutions are susceptible to refor-
nation, and can be absolutely re-
formed by the right methods OF
treatment.
Penologists the world over are
seeking for ways and means OF ac-
complishing this very thing. and
great improvements have been
and are being made in the handling
of wrongdoers. But to my mind
this reform must not start nor
cease in penal institutions, but must
and should eminate in the courts,
and then, sweeping on with all the
impetuosity of good cause, it will
blow away those noxious, miasma-
tic fogs of prejudice and suspicion
through which, in the past, society
has seen the ex-prisoner.
With such reform in the penal
institutions, in the courts and with
the atmosphere clarified surround
ing society, 95 per cent of those
sent to prison can be genuinely re-
formed.
Most of the states have or are
abOlishing prison contract labor,
which has been and is curse
wherever known. We have heard
resounding the prison cry, Prison
Reformp' which has reverberated
through the legislatures of the vari-
GUS states, bringing to those 479, ,7t3
unfortunates who were incarcerated
in jails and penitentiaries of this
country at the time of the last pris-
on census, cheer and hope for bet
ter things.
The search light has been turned
in the direction of the penal insti-
tutlons, but the desired results, the
true reformation of the wrongdoer
can never be accomplished by the
penal authorities working alone, no
matter how sincere or conscientious
they may be. The reform must
needs act upon the judiciary before
whom the offender is brought.
/ think it apropos to quote the fol-
lowing bearing on this point by DIR.
Healy, M. d.. director Juvenile In
stitute, Chicago, Ill.
The signs of the times, if | read
them Alright, are that an awakening
ofthe spirit concerned with crimi-
nal affairs is at hand.
Thoughtful men of the law, es-
pecially those who have had bench
experience with law breakers, juv-
emile or adult, have become full of
consideration of the subject, and
frequently nowadays put forth
Ideas on this or that phase of re-
forming our methods of dealing
with the criminal.
Gross, certainly one of the fore
most authorities, is a firm believer
CbdO uitliAdlCIy al dOOuoCo viii nay .
to be judged according to bis indi-
viduality in relation to his actions,
and believes that the study of caus-
alton of crime, the so-called etiolo-
gy, is the most important task.
Prof. Tyren, who has been offici-
ally reform of the Swedish code,
concludes that it is only through a
thorough consideration of causes
and motives that we can learn to
impose the penalty that it will have
the effect of eradicatlng the evil
tendencies of the criminal"
When we have learned how to
sentence the wrong-doer, then bring
to bear upon him the right kind of
influences during the time OF his In.
generation. Right here | take the
liberty of quoting from the Report
of the Committee on Reformatory
Work and Parole" by Frank M.
Railway, to the last Prison Cong
ress, at Baltimore, Md. Mr.. Rath-
way touches the very heart of this
vital subject when he advocates the
following: Your committee on