Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-07
yIHcs
PUNISHMENT THEN AND
SOME REWARDS JUST NOW
f.nttcr-Day Courts and Twentieth Cen
fury PuniShncnts Tint Are nrInE
Talked or

y Chesterfield County man. who signs
himself 'H!umantarjan.' writes The
Times Dispatch as follows
There was a time when punishmen,
VAS deliberately aimed at when Il per
son violated the law: to-day the ain,
is corrective. coupled with a determine
tl"r o" tn" part Q: prison authori-
ties 10 make men ana women ort OF
those who hay" strayed moro or less
from the marrow oath. Mental Sc
oluSlon for reason has long been re-
-ard.d iii the nature Of moral cor
rcctivc. Withdrawal f~om The world
* held To be beneficial by some re-
l!Cious bodies even to-day
Sat is the average criminal placed
''nG"r physical Constraint. benefited BY
mental seCluSion? Can mental inqc.
tivity hc enforced anyway Will not
The nIud OF man dwell along the in
dividual channels il has been accus-
toned to? Is it not rather the duty
Of the powers that, be to. at least. give
the n.nd Of the fclon a chance 10 ind
4 ucw channel rather than To force il
into thu old accustomed channel, or
~ other words. neglect the matter en-
tirclv"
These questions must arise in the
alind OF the thoughtful when compari-
sons arc made between the various
state prisons OF the country New .Ier-
Scy permits its coNVicts to receive ono
letter a week: South Carolina one let
ter month; Virginia. one letter in two
months
All newspapers are barred from the
uor"tcts OF Virginia. South Carolina
and Wyoming. Oalv three States i'm tho
Union carry on; this system OF mental
starvation. Is this restriction wise L?
Twelve states bar daily newspapers.
illinois allows one daily newspaper.
.'Alifo.nia bars all newspapers pub
fI slI.l 4tsiFh'N, -lp 30 In,
1cWS only
IS TO letter writing. where can he the
.dvauta=e 10 the prisoner IN limiting
communications Is not letter writing
Itself somewhat uplifting ii rompcl.;
thought. and anything that leads a
carson 70 ;hink Alright viii tend TO lead
10 right action, and futurc right action
should be the first aim Of punitive
measures. ict's compare the States.
ono letter in TWO mouths-Nirginia.
ono letter q month--CaIiforuia, Con-
'"ct!eE', Delaware, Maryland. New Jer-
Sos. Oregon, PENNSYLVANIA. South car
eliza, Washington. West Virginia.
one ,ettcr IN three wccks-Kansas.
. .aHoHt. Wyomiug.
TWO letters month-Gcorsia, Min
r.s-.a Sew Hampshire. south Dakota,
Tt.ar Wisconsin. illinois, Nassachu-
-ar'- ~euue.scc.
Thr-e letters "a nonth-ohio.
ioyr letters rnoutii--Idahb. Iowa.
Heuiurhy, Maine. Minnesota. Missouri
Ha'' North Dakota, Ctah.
lHHr letters a month Colorado, New
Nc1ieo
T.r letters a month North Carolina
SO lmit-Ncw York, Arizona, Arkan-
.as Alabama, Florida. Louisiana. Mis-
s--lpp. E"vada and Rhode island.
Ilr convict is the under dog he has
e." friends; his hand. like Gains OF
n.1, s. against every man, and every
mans aaUd is against him. Here's :,
e.arc" 10 aid him in some measure at
Least. remembering that the minds
'!c standard OF the man" Then let's
l.Ha To" mind along the lines where
g'ErIoumcnt means some slight meas
u'' Of pro.r"ss. Virginia may not he
""le % place it's prison regulations
rloug tur same lines aS those laid
down BOD Sow York, but it certainly
con move up 70" steps from the very
hr'inm OF the ladder ana get on {;
.in' Win. sar. Kentucky, or even witt
Nor'h Carolina.