The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-09-10

WARDEN WOLFER'S REPORT

= IN WARDEN WOLFER'S report to the
Eighteenth Biennial report of the Mime
sofa State Prison, which the Mirror Of
flee recently completed, he says in part:
sThe new prison is completed
and as you know, it is pronounced as the
last word on all points by the best judges
on prison requirements Prison reform
has long been one of the unsolved prob
lens of our civilization Our new pris-
not only enables us to put into practi-
cal use the best educational and
reformative measures, but will provide
adequately for the trying out of
ideas and theories, having in mind the rescue and
betterment of the unfortunate inmate.
''As this is my last report, may be permitted
to briefly outline some changes that have come
about during the past forty-three years, covered
by my prison experience. In the earlier years
prisons were unsanitary and badly kept Filth
and squalor was the rule and we'll organized gov
eminent unknown. Then, brute force was the
rule and rebellion the shibboleth. Society looked
upon the criminal a willful vicious, untamed
brute who needed only punishment, and lots of it.
Society was responsible to certain degree for the
! low ideals of prison management Times have
, since changed and we have changed much in Min
nesota.
Twenty-fOur years ago all our inmates worked
under contract at fifty cents per day under unsani-
tary conditions; few privileges allowed;
amusements; no recreation. All stripes
marched in lockstep, and all reduced to the dead lev
ell of hopeless mediocrity. Nothing to encourage
bition enlist initiative. There was large defc-
it every year which the taxpayers of the state were
called upon to make good, In spite of the hard
conditions the inmate earned only enough to pay
about One-half the expenses of his keep. Mime
sofa has since not only solved the economic side of
prison problem, but she has also gone we'll to
the front in providing means to rehabilitate her
unfortunate members. Today she has one of the
best prisons in the world and enough money has
already been made by and through her industries
to pay for it, The institution has long since
ceased to be a burden to the taxpayers, while it
has done much to elevate and reform it's inmates
Minnesota is fortunate in having satsfac-
tOrily solved its inmate labor problem. In most
other states they are having more less trouble
while we have settled along lines that make for the
greatest good to the largest number, that while
the institution is much more than self-supporting
it is also a great benefit to the taxpayers of our
commonwealth At the same time it provides
wholesome work for the inmate that does not COM
pete with honest workmen in the state Since the
increase in the population continues and the piece
price shoe contract has expired, it will be neces
sary to provide other employment aside from that
required in the manufacture of binding Irvine
and farm machinery. After counting out the in
creased numbers that will be required to keep
pace with the farm machinery output, think it is
safe to say that we shall need other employment
for some two hundred or two hundred and fiftv
inmates:
AS there is natural public demand for the
use of some of the prison inmates in building good
roads, this might be good time to commence
say with one hundred and fifty men divided into
three or four moving camps, providing inexpen-
sive stockades for winter camps on accessible rock
quarries from which freight rates will be favor
able. Here the summer supply of crushed rock
can be made during say the five winter months
The other seven months of the year these men
could be employed in building roads,
Both of our state account industries are in a
fourishing condition as evidenced by the financial
reports After charging up to respective plants and
credting to the current expense seventy-fve cents
per day per man for the support of the institution
and in addition, average of about twenty
five cents per day for the benefit of the inmates
we have made net profit of $685., 1914 II during
the past two years covered by this report. Last
year we made Is, 1877 ,685 pounds of Irvine and our
net profits were 1917, S5452. This years output
was 10, 481, 41O pounds, and our net profits are