The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-08-03
MAKING MEN OVER
How Convicts Are Being Turned Into
Farmers in New Jersey

I
our present system is wrong all are
| agreed. 1t Furnishes, but it does not
rehabilitate. When we send man
| to prison we cOnsign him, practically,
| TO the human scrap heap and often
destroy in him the very ability to be
| come useful member of society.
| The misfortune or the weakness
| which brings the first offender to JUS
| tice often dogs his steps through life,
owing to the bungling manner in
which we treat him.
But new light upon prison meth
DDS is now shining and we are realiz-
ing that punishment alone is not the
true solution of the problem of re-
making the convict. We must also
vitalize his moral nature.
Down in New Jersey an advanced
step has been taken in the treatment
of the criminal and the experiment,
although of short duration is proving
remarkably successful. Last Octo-
Der the State purchased some 1000
acres of woods and brush mile and
half from Leesburg and Is miles
from Millville in Cumberland county.
The only building on the place was
small frame structure and in this
the first II convicts taken from the
prison at Trenton were housed.
Among them were nine carpenters
and these were at once put to work
in constructing new buildings AS,
room was provided for more, other
convicts were sent to the farm and
at present there are 1855 men there
who are almost as free as though
they were not involuntary wards of
the State.
On the farm now are several fine
ings-dormitories. dining hall.
superintendent office, workrooms,
etc.-all the creation OF the prison
ers, who have found time beside to
clear and cultivate 200 of the 1000
acres
There is no prison discipline in the
ordinary sense OF the term on this
prison farm the first ever made
ready by convicts themselves. The
men work eight hours day, starting
at o'clock and quitting at ), after
which their time is their own to en-
ploy it almost as they choose until
bed hour at o'clock. This time is
spent on the baseball diamond in
summer. however. for the prison
farm has splendid ball ground and
several teams. There are no re
strictions as to speech either on the
grounds or in the buildings and very
little watch is kept and little is re
CURED.
At work the men are divided into
squads each in charge of a foreman.
who merely issues his instructions
the same as any ordinary foreman
might do. The men smoke and chat
during working hours and appreciate
the liberty allowed them and the con
lidence reposed in them. Some are
engaged in farming; some in shoe
making and repairing; some In car
pentering, some in the general work
about the place. There is laundry
where the clothes OF the prisoners
ara washed and ironed and sewing
room where garments are repaired
The conyicts employed in the gen
eral work of the farm so hitler and
thither with as great freedom as the
average farmer does on his property.
Ln a., 1
or Millville without even a guard ac-
companying them and return TO the
prison as cheerfully as any hired
man.
Only two men ever made their es-
cape and had they fallen into the
hands of their comrades on the pris-
on farm before taken TO Trenton II
would have Jared badly with them.
The table board of the conyicts is
much better than that of the average
workingman and practically all of il
comes from the farm or the waters
of Delaware bay. where oysters are
obtained Ham and eggs. bacon and
eggs, eggs cooked in various forTss
and fshcakes and hashes constitute
the first meal of the day. Pork and
beans and potatoes are the favorite
for dinner and in season oysters. pre-
pared in a variety of ways, are serv-
ed.
The generous treatment given the
convicts, who are serving sentences
for all kinds of ofrenses from robbery
to actual murder, has worked a re-
formation in their character. They |
are better behaved and have i'm
proved mentally. physically and NOR
ally from what they we're while in
the prison at Trenton. The lazy and
indolent at Trenton have become en-
ergetic and ambitious. Men who |
shrked their work before now can
not get enough to do. They work |
without a grumble and since the op.
ening OF the farm not one prisoner
has had to be punished or even repri-
manded
Connected with the prison farm is
an employment bureau conducted by |
B. f. Hires. superintendent who plan
ned the farm after an extensive in
vestigation OF other similar places in
this country and in Canada. lie finds |
work for the men after they leave |