The Detroit times., 1915-06-25
DETROIT TIM Z 5
Sing Sings Warden Turns Tough
Prisoners Into Men Who Make
Coca. Declares zone Who KnO,Us

DIR. Bernhardt Jacobs statement
that Thomas Mott Osborne. warden
OF Sing Sing prison. 10 too liberal
TO the inmates. and will get his"
some day. has brought fervid con-
tradictior from a member OF the
Psthnnders club. . Detroit man who
Is familiar With prison conditions in
various parts Of the country. and
who has had an opportunity to
know ultimately conditions In Sing
Sing under Warden Osborne and his
predecessor.
DR.. Jacob 10 superintendent OF the
Detroit House of Correction. II Is
admitted that his problem is some
what different from sna, III Mr.. Os-
borne, inasmuch a he has many
prisoners who are sentenced for 10.
Is and 80 days. while no convict 10
taken In Sing Sing who has less
than one year to serve.
Osborne II the greatest man In
the country" declared the Times
informant Il know what I'm talk
ing about for ! know prison condi-
tons In many states. l have seen
what prisons do for men by In
structing them In crime and making
them hate the society that Furnishes
them. know men who were made
confirmed criminals by what they
learned during their nrst term in
prison.
Osborne Great Rsfermsr.
They will tell you that IS per
cent Of the eliminates OF Sing Sing
have made good. That's not true.
They mean that the IS per cent
haven't been caught. or haven't been
heard Of again II will be true un-
der Osborne. II win be less than
the truth. for ! know convicts with
long records who have come out Of
Sing Sing after . few months under
Osborne and have taken honest
jobs. They gay that they wouldn't
90 back for $4,000. They wouldn't
face their former companions and
admit that after the treatment that
Osborne gave them. and the way
be trusted them. they couldn't make
good.
Sing Sing has about the worst
prison in the country when Osborne
took hold. Blackwell's island il
he'll. but Sing Sing was just az bad.
The men received . cent and . half
q day for their work on material for
state institutions II they were re-
ported by 4 guard. snd got q de-
merit mark. they were fined 50
cents. and their good time vas lost.
For mere serious offenses they were
Tut in the cooler. The cooler 10 =
narrow cell too short to die down
IN. where you get one gill OF water
end one slice Of bread day. TIE
walls are freshly kalsomined. and
the kalsomine gets into your throat
until you feel that you're going to
die II you can't gel water. Tho iron
door has two little peep holes for the
guard to- look throush--that's all
the light there In.
The prisoners still get q cent
and . half . day. but Osborne U
trying to arrange FOR better pay
for. them. The guards have been
called on. end the men govern
f:emsclvcs. II they break the rules.
their privileges are cut on. baf
that's all. The cooler has been
abolished
The inmates have termed . Mu-
tnal Welfare league. There are s.
delegates, elected from each shop
according to the number of men In
the shop one delegate for each 80
men, tut not more than three dele
gates for the largest shops. These
delegates elect an executive board.
which governs the prison. with the
help OF the delegates Men who
were once considered the worst and
toughest men in the prison are ON