The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1914-02-18
PRISON REFORM
DAKOTA effective
Splendid Advance Made in
Caring for Prisoners, Say
Men on the Inside"

One Of the greatest advances of
modern times is along the lines OF
criminology and prison reform. This
idea is fast working a transformation
in the treatment Of criminals in this
country. In no place are the busi-
ness-like, up-to-date results of Gov
ernor Hanna's administration more
in evidence than at the North Dakota
state penitentiary. The board Of con-
troll and Warden Talcott. aided by
Governor Hanna. are carrying out a
system that puts the North Dakota
institution to the forefront. in this
government. Under the head of
Real Prison Reform" The Reflector.
the paper edited and published entire.
~ by the inmates Of the North Da-
kota ~penitentiary, says:
We have heard quite a lot about
Great Meadows prison reform; now
we will give you some e and sub
stantial reforms. In North Dakota
We have grading and merit systems;
labor to the sum Of not less than 10
or not nor than 25 cents per day,
and all over ten hours is known as
overtime work. for which the men re-
ceive 10 cents per hour. We have
known men in this prison to make
as much as $50 in two months as ov-.
ertime money. We have no prison
rules. only those that are laid down
by the statute books of the state. We
have the best equipped. cell house in.
the United States. the dining room is
and the men walk in take their seats
and a their meals the same as any
other civilized man.
The old relic Of refusing the man
in prison the privilege OF speech is a
thing Of the past in this state. There
is only n place in this prison where
q man is not allowed to talk and that
is at chapel service and any mai with
any ~self-respect will not want to.talk
there.
We have a moving picture machine
a baseball team in the summer
months and not only play among
ourselves. but go outside and play
with outside teams. We have been
as far as forty-two miles away from
the institution to play an outside
team. We have a life term man
herding cattle who is from one to
ten miles away from the institution
every day on horse back. We. have a
life term man as the warden's chauf-
feur. This man goes all over the
SOu11lS al d tll8A pOWSI IldClllIc,
sometimes not returning until 3 a. m.
in the morning
When a man wishes to have his
teeth fixed, or has any kind of~sick-
ness that he does not care to have the
prison physician attend, to, and has
the money to pay expenses, he is sent
to the best doctor in Bismarck for
treatment. This is what we call pris-
on reform. And for fear that some
that read this article may think that
Warden Talcott is giving the men too
much privilege we van to state right
here, that all of the privilege that is
in the gift Of the warden and board
Of control we receive. -
And what are the consequences?
You hear of n more assaults
upon officers by inmates. You never
hear of a fight between an inmate
and his fellow worker. a thing that
was an every day occurrence not more
than twelve months age. The factory
Is running fifteen hours a day, the
Irvine is better because the men take
an interest in their work, the report
blanks Of the officers are clear, and
seldom does a report have to be
turned in"