The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-02-26
CHURCH PEOPLE
HELP PRISONERS
Inmate Says the Conscientious Christian
Workers Are Doing Much to Alleviate
the Sufferings and Hardships Of Men
Behind Bars.
BIZ "The SpdrrOlo.


Last week | endeavored in my
small way to write an article on
what society was doing for men
convicted of crime.
In this article [ wish to show my
readers what the Christian people
are dong to better the conditions OF
men unfortunate enough to come
under the ban of the law. 1t will
be remembered that prison reform
was first started by the churches,
and since that time many organiza-
lions or societies have been form ed
by the church going people.
In 1916 there was society in
New York formed what is known
as the Prison Association of New
York. Its founders were women,
connected with the different
churches of that city who bad read
considerable of prisons and prison
ers and saw a way to help their fall
len brothers to gain back again the
manhood and honor they had lost
by committing crime. Later this
society was taken over by men, and
presided over by one of the fore
most church men of the state of
New York. One of the many
changes they caused to be made,
was a house cleaning at the Elmira
reformatory, at Elmira, n. Y. Then
The Salvation Army came into
prominence and started a prison
reform all over the country. And
all my readers will agree with me
when 1 say, that since the little
mother" or Mrs. Ballington Booth
of that other organization
known as the Volunteers OF
America, has interested herself in
the prisoners of this country. there
has been many changes in the treat
ment of prisoners. And not only
that, but she has been untiring in
her efforts to help the prisoner after
he has obtained his release from
prison.
The Volunteer Prison League
has had more than $4,000 men,
bers since it's Inauguration. and it
has leagues in nearly all the states
in the Union. Through the influ-
ence of the league there has been
many thousands of released prison
ers started on the road to live a re-
formed and better life.
Then there was Mother Wheat
ton. A Christian woman that de-
voted her whole life to helping men
in prison. A woman who was al
ways willing to do all in her power
for the man behind the bars. Tn is
woman was the means of changing
many a mans life from that of
darkness to that of reformation, and
was always willing to write to any
prisoner to give him hope and en-
couragelnent:
Then there is a man. who you nc
doubt, have heard Of, the poet scout
Captain Jack Crawford. A man
who has had years of experience on
the frontier, and knows life from A
to q, and who has done so much
good for the men behind the stone
walls, by his lectures and visits
and could go on and name many
individuals that are working for the
betterment of the men in prison
and you would find that they are
all good, honest Christians. There
is fair example of them here
Each month there are women come
from Minneapolis and St. Paul to
visit the men incarcerated here that
have no friends to visit them. and
did you ever notice the smile on
one of these mems faces after be
had received a visit from those
women? Those visits make the
men forget their troubles for the
time being at least, and gives them
a new lease on life. And look a,
the changes in the treatment oil
prisoners in the last fifty years
And those changes were all brought
about by not the so called society
people, but by the Christian people
And when see the good their visit
do the men in here it makes me
think of that little poem of Marion
Phelps
IF COULD KNOW.
If could know that word or deed