Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-03
The Legislature Should Reform
Georgia's Whole Penitentiary
SYSTEM
SYSTEM

The Georgia Legislature when meets in June should take
under serious advsement only the question of abolish
ing the whipping post in Georga penenary system but the
further reformation of the system along other lines.
The Georgian hinksit rather certainty that the whip
ping post will be definitely specifically outlawed in
state-both wisdom and justice demand that,
This relic of the dscredted and discarded old lease system
must gothe people do desire that the State shall
be handled like vicious anmalsi
1t will be argued by loose thinking people that the
whipping Of certain classes of convcthe hardened ones
these people will call thes necessary They viii say these
hardened ones not be controlled otherwise
That ancient falaoy exploded often Ind utterly
that it is listened to with scant patience by atened prison
workers and observers of prison conditions nowadays
Instead of holding convict face to face with the WHIP
PING POST incentive to good conduct it will be found
upon trial be much successful plan to hold him face
to face with SUBSTANTIAL REWARD
And to this end nothing far has found in light
Of experience in other States work well the nde
nate sentence.
Georgia win say convcs one and ALL eff You be
have and show yourselves worthy will shorten your
surely and Enthusiastically rather than If you dom behave
and show yourselves worthy win beat you with strap it
will be found that the promise of reward effective and
produces lasting results for good than does the threat Of
punishment.
Under the old order of things convict looked upon by
the authorities of the State sort of chatean actual
ASSET from material standpoint
AS matter of fact convict most emphatic LIABIL
ITY and he should be treated such
Under the old lease system the longer convict kept
In prison. and the frequently he returned
was worth in dollars and cents the lessee and the State
Under such mistaken system of handling convict In
evably the reformation and correction of hayward
lost sight of all but entirely and became question get
ting maximum amount of labor and profit from him during
his period of Internationally THE MORE REASONS AND
EXCUSES THAT COULD BE FOUND FOR FURNISHING HIM
FOR MISCONDUCT THE MORE CERTAIN 1T BECAME
THAT EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY NEVER WOULD REACH
HIM AND THAT THE FULL TERM OF HIS SENTENCE
MUST BE SERVED
tn
to ndeterminae termsto say convict for instance You
must serve not less than two than five yars I'm
medatey upon beginning THAT sentence there would be
opened to the convict involved THE DOOR OF HOPE.
The promise of substantial reward for good conduct
worthy example would be definite and precise and under
merit system of daily accounting for that convict would be
possible appeal constantly and contnuousynot only
better nature but to his of material profit
HIM by reason of rightly conducting himself
The responsibility upon State preserve peace good
order its citizens far reaching and it involves much
than the PUNISHMENT of persons convicted
crime.
through sensible and humane prison system a incapable
of future crime then the State has rendered greater
to the people than when merely Furnishes him for nao
ton Of the law and leaves him apt than
apt before-to commit crime again
And while the whipping pest MUST GO in Georgia
recent horrible and dgraceu stories of abuse and msapped
authority that direction have made the going little
speedy than otherwise might have been perhapst
do for the Legislature stop there itself the
idea that the last shred and patch the old system
more.
Progressive legislation in the prison control and
operation must be enacted.
Hereafter the idea of REFORM in Georgia convict camps
must take high precedence the idea of PUNISHMENT
The sincere making of Oonvcts should be the primary
purpose of the convict system of Georgia
The basic idea very simple your boy something
wrong it not nearly much that you wish PUNISH him
what he has done you HE MAY NEVER DO
WRONG AGAIN.