The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1914-01-23

conditions in the penitentiary have q
tendency to advance rather than re-
tard this disease and until special
preparation is made to handle 1t we
may expect. that the health of the
prisoners in this respect will decline.
"The large percentage Of people
that die from pneumonia would also
seem to indicate evil conditions. The
state has never seriously taken hold
of this matter in the penitentiary and
even now only makeshift is contem-
plated. The penitentiary should not
be an incubator for the white plague"
Don't Punish Insane.
Dean Blackmar found that nearly
all the punishments fall upon 100 OF
the 1000 prisoners and the greater
proportion on 90, nearly all the pun
ished being abnormal or subnormal
people. He urges that a discrimina-
tton be made between sound and I'M
sound minds. 1t is palpably absurd
to punish a man when his mind is
diseased, he points out.
A schoolhouse with a professional
teacher, and the abolition of the dark
cell, and the payment of prisoners or
their families for their labors are
among the other recommendations
made by Dean Blackmar.
The report condemns the sanitation
Of the prison. 1t shows that a stable
with sixteen horses is maintained
within 200 feet of the dining room,
that a dozen open cesspools are per-
mitted within the grounds, and that
the sewer empties into the Missouri
river three-quarters OF mile above
the pumping plant which takes the
water out of the river for domestic
purposes
Divorce Prison and Politics.
In conclusion Dean Blackmar pleads
for the divorce of politics from the
administration of the prison.
I'm the old days Of the penitentiary,
too much attention was given to max
ing a surplus at the end of the bien-
num-" the X. U. sociologoist declares.
AT one time a profit Of more than
100000 was shown. During this
period of profit making, the physical
and mental condition of the prisoner
and the reform idea were neglected.
Today the reform idea is fully ac-
knowledged but hard to carry out on
account of the inheritance of a
neglected plant, and | might say a
political inheritance which still clings
to the institution. 1t is time now to
give administrators and officers a
chance by providing a workable sys-
TEN, and let us hope to eliminate from
the operation of the institution the
last vestige of partisan politics"
Hodges For New Prison.
Governor Hodges has issued a state
ment in which he declared himself in
favor of rebuilding the state peniten-
tiary on its present site. The recon-
struction, he says, should proceed
upon a definite plan, and the work
should be distributed over period
of three or four years so that the ex-
pense will not fall too heavily on the
people In any one year. He will ap-
point commission to prepare plans,
and submit the whole matter to the
next legislature.
Commenting on Professor Black
mars report on the penitentiary, Gov
ernor hodges said
The report is an admirable state
ment of the conditions which exist at
the Kansas state penitentiary, and 1t
forms a basis on which to proceed to
do something tangible at that insti-
tuition.
II feel sorry that the penitentiary
should be reconstructed on the present
site, and the reconstruction should
proceed upon a definite plan which
will provide for a modern penitentiary,
in which can be put into effect modern
ideas upon the subject Of handling
criminals. AS Professor Blackmar
suggests, the only modern thing about
the present prison is the new twine
plant just completed. slt
Each administration has had q
more difficult task in the management
of this penitentiary The time has
now arrived when we should proceed
with reconstruction. We have been
doing the best we could with anti
quated machinery and Anticipated ia
cilities, and think we may take some
pride in the fact that we have &C
complished as much as we have.
There is no occasion for becoming
hysterical or excited over the matter.
We should go about the rebuilding OF
the penitentiary as sane business
proposition. 1t is possible that | will
appoint commission to visit the PEN
itentiaries in the neighboring states
and confer with the state architect
and have plans and specifications
drawn for submission to the next leg
islature."