Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-03
The Legislature Should Reform
GeOrgia's Whole Penitentiary
SYSTEM


The Georgia Legislature when meets in June should take
under very advsemnt only the question abolish
ing the whipping post Georga penentary system but the
further reformation of the system along other lines
The Georgian thinks it rather certainty that the whip
ping post will be definitely and specifically outawed this
State-both wisdom and justice demand that.
This relic of the scredted and discarded old lease system
must gothe people do not desire that the State convcts shall
be handled like vicious animals!
It will be argued by loose thinking people that the
whipping of certain classes of convcsthe hardened
these people will call thems necessary They will these
hardened ones not be controlled otherwise.
That ancient faacy exploded often utterly
that is listened to with scant patience by enlightened
workers and observers of prison conditions nowadays
Instead of holding convict face to face with the WHIP
PING POST incentive to good conduct it will be found
trial. to be much successful plan hold him
to face with SUBSTANTIAL REWARD.
And to this end nothing far has been found in light
OF experience in other States to work well the ndeerm
nate sentence.
If Georgia will say to her convcs and ALL eff you be-
have and show yourselves worthy will shorten your
surely and unmakabl rather than IF you behave
and show yourselves worthy will beat you with strap it
will be found that the promise of reward effective
produces lasting results for than does the threat of
punishment
Under the old order things looked upon by
the authorities of the State sort of chatean actual
ASSET from material standpoint.
As matter of fact a convict emphatic LIABII-
ITY, and he should be treated such.
Under the old lease system the longer convict kept
prison. and the frequently he returned the he
worth in dollars and cents the the State
Under such mistaken system Of handling convict in
evaby the reformation and correction hayward
lost sight of all but entirely and question get
ting maximum amount of labor and profit from him during
his period of Internationally MORE REASONS AND
EXCUSES THAT COULD BE FOUND FOR Furnishing HIM
FOR MISCONDUCT, THE MORE CERTAIN TT BECAME
THAT EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY NEVER WOULD REACH
HIM. AND THAT THE FULL TERM OF HIS SENTENCE
MUST BE SERVED
Suppose Georgia permitted judges sentence convcts
10 ndeerminate termsto to convict for instance You
must not less than than five years I'M
mediatey beginning THAT sentence there would
opened to the convict involved THE DOOR OF HOPE.
The promise of substantial good conduct and
worthy example would be definite and precise and under
merit system of daily accounting for that convict would
possible to appeal constantly and connuousynot only his
better nature but to his of profit TO
HIM by reason of rightly conducting himself
The responsibility upon State preserve peace good
order among its citizens far reaching involves much
than the PUNISHMENT persons convicted of
crime.
When State takes criminal and makes of him.
through sensible and humane prison system incapable
OF future then the State has greater service
to the people than when merely Furnishes him for nao
ton of the law and leaves him apt than as
apt as before-to commit crime again
And while the whipping post MUST GO in Georgia
recent horrible and disgracefu msapped
authority that direction going little more
speedy than otherwise might have been perhapst
do for the Legislature stop there with the
idea that the last shred and patch of the old system is no
more.
Progressive legislation in the matter of prison and
operation must be enacted.
Hereafter the idea of REFORM Georgia convict camps
must take high precedence the idea of PUNISHMENT
The sincere making of should be the primary
purpose of the convict system of Georgia
The basic idea very simple your boy does something
wrong it not nearly much that you to PUNISH him
for what he has done that you wish HE MAY NEVER DO
WRONG AGAIN.