The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-26
.CR|T|C|SE OLD
PRISON METHODS
DepIorabIe Conditions Which Confront
FriendIess Prisoners at Time Of Dis
charge Accountable for the Return Of
Many Society Largely to Blame.
NOT IN. VOGUE HERE


The following. clipped from the
current issue of the Prison Monitor.
printed at the Vermont state prison;
tells of the usual condition which
confronts men who are released
under the old system. and severely
criticies old type prison methods.
The establishment of the parole sys-
tenn has, to great extent, eliminat-
ed this unfortunate condition, inas-
much as under its administration the
released men are provided employ
ment and their welfare is safe guard
eG by the prison authorities until
their final discharge. This is the
new reform method practiced in this
state Editor.
Some men on being released from
society's terrestrial purgatories"
have the means Of dressing them
selves decently, and of living till they
can find employment, home or friends
to go to; but the greater part of them
go away from those places IN very
mean clothing and with hardly a
dollar in their pockets. In this
situation they are turned loose upon
the world, often far from their
friends. and not soul to apply to
for assistance without advertising
the fact of their imprisonment. They
cannot get into work anywhere, for
they carry the, mark of the prison."
not only in their countenance, but
on the borders of their garments,
and everybody shuns them. They
are asked for recommendations, and
have none to give; not soul can
they refer to.
Must Beg or Steal
They have no money, and conse-
quently they must either beg, or
steal. Nor are they moral agents in
this case; necessity is laid upon them
and they must do it. No man ought
ever to be turned out upon society
as prisoners usually are. If they
deserve to be free, give them free
dom suit and change of clothing,
and money enough to carry them
until they get into employment; but
if they do not. keep them till they
do. Give a man a fair chance to
become honest, and not place mis-
principles where Gabriel's would be-
come polluted. If men desire to
make evil-doers better, let them help
them to reform, and not place them
under necessity to do wrong. Let
there be an adherence to principle,
and if punishment is to be under the
government of mercy, let 1t be mer-
ciful; but if it is not designed to re-
form, then say so-write your laws
in blood--catch every criminal you
can, and either hang him or shut
him up for life. Let there be con-
sistency between principle and oon-
duct, and if it is the purpose of the
law to make it's ministers furies, let
them not be clothed as angels, of
light.
This neglect of the discharged pris-
oner when he is released is the great
cause of SO many recommitments,
either to the same. or other prisons.
He mas no home, nor pillow to lay
his head on, seven times out of ten
his family is broken up and scatter
ed. The wife, maybe. is on the
streets" the old mother in the poor
house, and all hope in his breast fair
ly crushed. He spends his days on
the highway, and his nights in the
field or in some barn. He has not
a crust of bread to satisfy the craving
demands of hunger. He drinks the
running brook. His spirits sink
down. He is stranger in his own
country. and a hermit in the midst
of society. He is starving in the
midst of plenty. Uncared for by
others, he forgets all care about him.
self. Worse off he cannot be, he
may be better. He has nothing to
lose, and any change must be in his
favor. He puts forth exertion and
cares not how the experiment re-
suits. Look at this man. Is not his
situation almost an excuse for any
thing he may do? Place yourself
there, and conjecture how you would
act. What can we do? What could
an angel do IN his circumstances?
Here, you who would trace subse-
quent offences and commitments to
their cause, here is the reason why
SO many return to their former
abodes or to a like place. Where,
ask, is the mercy of penitentiary,
or reformatory, which treats it's SUBJ
jects thus? Don't say that they
could get into employment. They