Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-30
Makes Compact Allowing the
Brotherhood to Enforce
Discipline
TBI Latest NALL

| Ne" 1Ohh, y. In udlteIs U
minor discipline, at least. the inmates
of Sing Sing: are to become a self
governing body. S
4 Thomas NJ. Osborne the new war
den, gave his written promise of this
| when he answered formally series Of
requests made BY the Golden Rule
brotherhood. an organization of the
convicts. In his letter. which was ad
dressed to S. J. Copper, chairman OF
the brotherhood. the. warden. said OF
the projected departure:
The most important suggestion OF
all: That the system Of discipline
be materially altered, and that the
executive committee OF the brother
hood. sitting as court, should be al
lowed, to examine all miner cases OF
| discipline and determine, If practi.
cable. the nature and extent of the
penalties.
Sanctions Status Of Court"
at is requested that the court be
held betWeen3 and 4 in the afternoon;
that the sergeaneafsarms be authoriz.
ed to procure tue attendance OF wit
i nesses, and that right OF appeal from
| this court to the warden'S court be
given-such appeals to be made either
; by the inmate whom it is proposed
to disciplines orfhy one OF the prison
tofficers! appointed bYsthe warden to
be present at the hearings.
The suggestion Is also made that
the court may warn and caution the
inmate, or may suspend him for a
stated time from any or all Of the
privileges of the brotherhood, and that
, while SO suspended lie shah cease to
enjoy his grade privileges, and shall
wear on his arm a 'bulls-eye' of the
, color of his grade disc
Answer: Believing that this sug-
gestion is in harmony WITH the policy
of the Prison Department as laid down
by Supt. Riley, and believing also
that the increased interest and respon-
sibility for their own affairs will tend
directly toward better conditions in
the prison, | am more than willing to
grant this request, and should be glad
to see this system put into operation
at once"
The other requests made by tine
brotherhood and granted by the war.
den include the giving of motion pic
ture shows Sunday instead of Satur
day afternoons; that members of the
brotherhood be allowed to receive Wis
itors Sundays and holidays; that the
inmates may write such letters as
are necessary" to otherssthan those
whose names appear on their cores
pondence cards; that it be made pos
sible to buy stamps with the money
on deposit, and that special letters be
allowed under certain bpdittons to
men who have no stafnps % their cred
1T. - - -
Preferred Places to Afflicted.
Permission has also been given to
the men to have newspapers without
returning them to the ehaplain's of,
flee, but, because If the considerable
trouble in Distributing" Sunday pa.
pers will still be barred Doubling.
up in cells is to be resorted to only in
case of necessity, and to the brother.
hoods suggestion that places in the
dormitory be- given first of all to men
suffering from heart trouble, epilepsy
and some who are crippled, etc." the
warden replied:
Il am greatly LEASED to have the
evidence of concern for the general
welfare which this request shows. The
places in the dormitory should be Civ
en- first to those who suffer most from
the bad conditions of the cell block"
A vote will be taken as to the re-
fuest that inmates be allowed, for
reading or study, to keep their lights
burning until 10 o'clock. One request
was denied-that the screens be re-
moved from the visitors room. The
warden added these requests of his
own:
Better general discipline in the
prison, in the shops and in marching.
would like, to see in the attitude of
the men a more alert and vigorous
bearing. -. =. =
Better order in the cell block. AS
mark Of consideration for each other
and those who are reading or study
ing, there should be silence and good
order when the cell block is occupied
Cleanliness. There should be no
litter In. the cell block or the yards:
barrels will be provided for waste and
refuse. .,s
Asks Increased Efficiency.
, Better work and increased efficien-
cy in the industrial departments. This
is very important, as it is the one
concrete test of the new system.
"As the moving picture entertain
ments are transferred to Sunday aft
ernoons, | think the men should work
longer on Saturday. ! must urge the
importance of this and the preceding
request to the men themselves The
worst thing a man can learn in prison
is to do inefficient work.