The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-06-11
CHANGE CRIMINALS
BY EDUCATION
Former Superintendent Ram
dali of St. Cloud, Would Have
Offender Remain in Prison
Until Cured"

= eeOeee~se1A
Until "Cured."
Frank L. Randall, formerly su-
perintendent of the St. Cloud Re-
formatory. and now of the Mass
achusetts Prison Commission, recent
ly stated his views in regard to the
best means to be employed to secure
the complete reformation of the
criminal.
He is one of the few reformers
who realize the necessity of dealing
with the criminal as an Individual,
and he says that prison or prison
system which takes no account of
the individuality of each prisoner
will fail of it's highest attainment.
He says that the success or failure
of a prison must be judged largely
by the careers of the prisoners after
they have returned to society, and
not by the industrial accomplish
ments of the prisoners as a whole
while in the prison. nor wholly by
the discipline maintained.
He believes that a prison manage
ment should study and learn all that
is to know of each prisoner under
its care, and then apply treatment
to accord with the circumstances of
the prisoner. which would best
achieve his cure. He suggests edu-
cation along the lines suited to in
dividuals or classes of them to be
determined, and in this connection
says:
Favors Education
Society cannot justify the impris-
onment of wrongdoers unless, during
the term of imprisonment, all valua.
BILE influences are brought to bear
upon the prisoner, which will tend
toward his Improvement, for i'm
provement itself is not per Sc good
for him.
If a crime was committed because
Of the ignorance of the prisoner, he
should be lifted out of ignorance by
the administration of suitable in
struction.
If hasty temper is responsible,
he should be taught self-control. If
addiction to drugs is at the bottom
of his discretion, he should be phys
ically nourished and restored las near
ly as possible. to a normal condition.
II he stole because pain and inca
pacity caused by disease, he should
forthwith be placed in the hospital.
under the care of skilled men, where
he may be restored to health and
vigor.
If he became disheartened, and
therefore reckless, because he was
unskilled in any useful handicraft,
and the struggle for comfort became
too hard. the suitable industrial ed
ucation should be supplied to him.
If he came from the city, the temp
tations of which he had demonstrated
his incapacity to withstand. and he
evinced a liking for rural life and
labor. the prison should fit him to
become valuable to the farmer or
gardener.
Physical Equipment
To do all these things the prison
must have a physical equipment
quite different from what is usually
provided, and the executive head Of
the institution, and all the members
of the staff, should be gifted persons,
in thorough sympathy with the pur-
pose of the prison, and devoted to
the service. Unless and until the
laws permit the elimination of all
time-savers from the payroll, and
the proper authorities discharge
duties in that behalf, too much must
not be expected from the prison
system.
A prisoner must be prepared for
his liberty in painstaking and thor
ough manner, and his return to his
former status should be approached
by graduation. The restraint exer-
cised over him should be no more
than is necessary, taking into ac-
count his own character and charac-
teristics, and, as far as is compatible
with his welfare. and the welfare of
the prison. He should be encour-
aged to exercise and develop his ini-
tiative, genius and self-reliance.
which the discipline Of the average
prison tends to suppress or destroy,
to the irreparable injury of the pris-
Oner.
If the man is to leave the place of
confinement tomorrow it is not nec-