Milford chronicle., 1915-03-26
PRISON REFORM IN DELAWARE


an afternoon to the consideration OF
cur prison system Monday, March 10
The first ar 1icle, Prison Reform and
Contract Labor, brought to the notice
Of club women the dreary and unsan-
itary condition of the average country
iail. the evils Of contract labor, and
the consideration of reformative rain
ing in prisons as educational work OF
the highest value to the State, and the
necessity of having it carried out un-
der the direction Of men fitted Tor sucn
work. The prison official should be an
educator of the finest type, as well as
a man of executive ability, and ne
should hold his Office because OF his
fitness for this work and his devotion
to it-nOt because of political favor:
The second paper showed the sig
nifieance of the recent petition from
the inmates of the Eastern Penilen-
tiary, Pennsylvania, asking the State
to favor any movement that would
hinder or prohibit the sale or manu-
facture of liquor. In all the prisons,
the more intelligent of the inmates
are ready and anxious to serve and
lead in all movements that may help
in the uplifting of their fellow-prison-
ers. This is shown by the spirit of the
papers published in many prisons, by
the readiness with which the men
pledge themselves to the work of the
Brctherhoods and Welfare Leagues,
and especially by their intelligent
searching for the cause of crime. Last
wear a vote was taken among the IN
mates of the Eastern Penitendary by
some of their own members as to their
attitude toward the liquor question.
The opinion Of the inmates was that
at least three-Quarters of their num-
ber owed their Imprisonment to liquor
"a recognition Of existing social con-
diticns outside that ha crystallized
this year into a petition TO the State 30
abolish them.
A brief review was given Of Thomas
Mott Csborne's book. within Prison
Walls" This is the eXac5 account OF
Mr.. Osborne's experience at Auburn
Prison. New York State, where he was
committed, and led the life of an ordi-
nary prisoner In all details for week.
Tt was during this week that he and
nj working partner in the shOp, Air.
Jack Murphy, conceived she idea OF
the Welfare League, that has done so
much for the men of Auburn Prison
Il is based en- self-governmcnt, and 1t
not only has gained for those VINO
pledge themselves to abide by its rules
and has rendered old restrictions un-
necessary, but it is giving the men a
training in the beauty of law and
order and self-discipline that is inval-
liable, not only for their lives within
the walls. bu for the future outside.
a letter from Mr. Murphy, explaining
the laws and workings of the League,
was read. There were a few words
about Mr Osborne's present splendid
work in Sing Sing and its promise for
the future Of that place, and then an
attempt was made to bring the pres
en5 pri on system of Delaware before
the audience.
There are two jails, one at George
town and one at the capital, Dover.
Prisoners are confined in these for not
more than three months. LOr ~ term
prisoners are sent to what is known
as tn Work House." in Green sank.
Beth jails are in wretched condi ion.
A picture Of enc, with a few changes,
vii ssve for the other. An earn It
and wall-informed man writes Of the
Dover Jail: Last year ! had the sec
retary If The Prison Reform As ocia-
ton of Philadelphia down here, also
professor from Swarthmore, who lee
tured for Us on jails. They both vis-
tied cur Jail and pronounced il HE
WORST THEY HAD EVER SEEN.
Elack and white of both sexes are hud-
died together. The place was filthy.
The prisoners were given tin pail
containing their meal, and they were
supposed to stand and eat, or sit on.
the doGr. There was not table in the
iail. The walls were filthy. l tried to
get the Levy Court to do something,
but | found we have three Jail COM
mi sioners who are supposed to look
after the Jail property. They receive
SoL.E mpensatlOn-enou l sup
pose, to pa their taxes. In our State
House we lass a law and give $4,000
q year for The suppression of tubercu-
iosis, and within a stones throw we
are culV.valing the germs of tubercu-
losis. We then send our long-term
prisoners to Green Bank, and in
hort time they are sent to their homes
III a box"
To this may be added that the Jail
in Dover is without beds or decent bed
ding, the prisoners sleeping on the
floor. Through he efforts of the pres
ent efficient and progressive sheriff,
new cots and bedding are now piled up
in the outer hall waiting for the cells
to be cleaned before they are put in.
Sheriff Kirby is doing all in his power
to bring order out of this worse than
chaos, but he says that the people who
put men in such a place are more
guilty than the prisoners. Mr.. Catlin,
the head of the T. S. Prison Work Bu-
reau, writes of this picture of Dover
jail; "My idea of hell would be
place like that"
Japan threw into the discard, over
twenty years ago, a prison system sim
liar to the composite American prison
system, and in its stead she erected a
prison system to educate and train the
inmates along lines to which each in
dividual prisoner was best adapted. At
the time Japan relegated her inefficient
prison system to the scrap pile, her
repeaters and recidivists averaged 40