The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-10
Journalists of the Iails
Prison Papers Have the Merit of Being the Ceanest Form
of Publication Issued.

There Is school OF journalism In
the United States which Is seldom.
perhaps never heard of by the gem
eral pubic IT is called penal Jour
fahsn. and 1t thrives only IN jail.
liz yagl La4a aA 10 lac - nlaGn Der Of
congress. or prison official, you
may have seen copy of the lead
Ing exponent of penal Journalism but,
as a rule. the readers are wholly
men and women doing tine for Of
lenses against the law,
These prison papers have the ner-
1t Of representing the cleanest jour
nalism IN the United states, Not one
Of them is yellow or even sensa-
fionaa They are all for the uplift,
although not "a few are amply enter
prising and many of them are really
clever
This unusual Journalism follows
closely Ia this steps OF tie new
thought and general movement for
the betterment OF prisons and for a
more humane and rational treat
rent of couvicts. j had It's birth,
and lives IA life behind tail gray
walls and tyon bars It is for this
reason that so little of its work
reaches this general public, notwith
standing that. under the name of pc
nal Journalism" It embraces within
its ranks several hundred inmates
Of the different penitentiaries scatter
cd over the United States
About twenty-five years ago the
first paper ever printed tn any prIs-
tsFa was issued ffem the State snsti-
tuition IN saltwater. MINI. under the
nan7e Of the Mirror. II WAS followed
some years afterward hy the Peniten-
TT 4 So. VNWV1s ks.s. r
The Ohio State perltonuary. IN Co
l4nbus, a. little later the star OF
Hope. at sing Sing. made ITS Ap-
psarance
These papers were largely made up
sf sunday school lessons, short sto-
RES bv the Inmates and some care
saIlv censored MATER from outside
publications From thcae beginnings
grew the present day penal Journal
.sl1l which now numbers about thlf-
ty-ave publications issued from as
nany Institutions. al readable. many
pretent4o4s and every one edited with
III f7ne appreciation Of The responsl-
hilities resting or the editorial Shout
6ers
The objects ~ the publications Va
nv. t11t about ONE helf IF them are
nvomediy engaged in correcting or
v@ndlctive punishment ard 3phumal
treatment ~ prisoners aud in en-
nrhtening the general public with
knowledge Of the real ran behind
she bafs---liGes his right 20 be treat
ia as q human hftng WIN" In rrlS-
en and the chance for ii Fn Ia make
aa honest llgng when he Us d!s-
charged
TIRE most effective az this class %
arson papers Is Good words, pun
f.f ffe. f4g3f4vg1 ra-t -
or al ATLANTA. Ga. under sanction of
the department of 5astice has quite
n circulation among government OF
nfl&fs. members % congress and SEN
afcys II numbers come very brii~
5&nt writer's among It's staff uf con-
E4ibutors ard unt.l recently was un-
arr the editori&l dlrec tioH II Julian
Hawt horne.
The mpire e she name 81 the
s1uhl4eattpn issued tv lie men Of the
Easter penitcntiarv. IN this city,
ana was the outgfawth ~ the base
bAu privileges accorded the inmates
far this first ilue three wears ago.
Naturally both players 9na fans want
~ to soc their favorable teams OK
ringted in type ard the Umpire, base
ssan journal WAS the result. within
she las year however its policy has
been changed ~ present It Is at
npfsug the moral upl4t ~ the In
mates Through carefully prepared
matter, I'm which is concealed the
seSsan intended 10 he ConHe%ed---ver nv
rnnrn for he same reason that chill
sren are given castor eli IN capsules.
THE Umpire IS very proud II it's dis
tsactlon of beiag the only prison pub
gseatien carrying column Of ada In
which peculiarly local manufactures
exploit the merits ef many novelties
thev are making and offering for sale
The Better Citizen. nnhiiehed in the
New Jersey refarmatory !s another
e.sse Of these publications doing good
sark, As Its readers are mostly boys