Williams news., 1914-04-23
Arizona to the Front

He was travelling on the state high way between Fl,rence and Phoe nix, when something went wrong with his machine. The machine can to standstill near where some men were working the roads. It was late in the evening and the men who were quitting work for the day assisted the stranger to take hls machine to their camp where it was repaired. The stranger ac- cepted their hospitality and spent the night with them. In the morn ing when ready to take his leave he offered to pay them for his trou- ble, but they refused and replied that they were convicts and placed out on the roads on their honor by Governor Hunt, and by him given a chance to make good. The stran- ger was astonished to think that he spent the night in convicts camp, but said to them, If this is pris- on reform I'm for it."
 So are we for it.
 After visit to the State prison at Florence we believe that Ariz ona should be proud of its Govern or who has been so instrumental ln inaugurating the present reforms of prison management. As plon- ger in the movement Governor Hunt has had t. stand great deal of critisism which we believe un- just. The impartial visitor to Florence can not but be impressed with the advantage of the Arizona system over that of other states. We believe that the rigid disci pline used in other states, and not icably lacking in Florence, is pro- ductive of more evil than good
 The plan of employing the prls- oners upon the state highway and bridges has proved a great econo- my to the state and in the Govern or's own words, leach man con- victed, instead of becoming pub lie burden is paying his debt to the state whose laws he has trans gressed" Some believe that the prisoners should not be permitted 10 indulge in athletic games. It is the opinion of the best author ities on prison management that athletic games make prison man agement less difficult and gives an outlet to some of the stored up ener- gy which, in the unnatural state or condition they are placed, is not allowed to find natural expres- sion.
 The element of punishment is not lacking because to be confined by an indeterminate sentence. to be deprived of most of the rights and privileges of free citizen, and to be compelled to work without compensation, are, to the average man, punlshments in themselves The history of prison management shows that when the most severe punishments were used there was : least of reformation: the rule being that the discharged prisoner was more fixed in his criminal tenden. cies than when he was incarcerated. Many man has been discharged from penitentiary a confirmed criminal whom wise and humane treatment would have made a good and useful citizen There is n, clearly defined line between the men in the penitentiary and those out side, and ill many cases the chief difference is that the man in- side having transgressed the laws of the state has been caught, while the one outside has escaped con- viction. In the beginning society punished from spirit of revenge and the convict was an outcast tc be hated and despised, but in mod. ern times reformation is the chlei object and the prisoner a fellnw , man to be helped and encouraged. U We believe Governor Hunts ad n ministration of the state prison k 2 far in advance of the management 9 of other modern prisons, but tha e before many years other states vii ' adopt the methods he is provins