The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1916-04-13
WARDEN lyman SPEAKS
ON PRISON LIFE


Springs. who has done Investigation
work in the federal prisons for the
N1nited States government, were the
speakers at a mee.ing Of the mem
bers of the Winter Night club of Colo
RADIO Springs at the Antlers hotel on
Thursday night
Work. said Warden lyman. ''is
the biggest factor in reforming men,
and upon that statement his talk was
largely rredicaled. In referring to
the warden's address the Colorado
Springs Gazette says:
"Convicts and prisons have ever
been topics TO catch and hold the at
the law. AS subjects they held the
keen attention of the audience here
Thursday night But it was not a
sentimental audience and the subjects
were not presented from sentimental
standpoint Rather. indeed, was the
attitude OF the audience one OF open
mindedness and desire to apply CON
structive thinking 10 the broblems pre-
sented by the lawbreaker and his en-
eircling wall. the prison.
The story OF Thomas lyman. for
the last seven years warden of the
state penitentiary. and his prison
methods and reforms is too well
known in Colorado TO need detailed
= accounting here.
His honor system among the con
, victs. his plan OF building state roads
through convict labor and his prison
farmsfhaye become known throughout
the United States as radical and sue
cessfnl departures from the old prison
ideas and Institutions. In fact, TWEEN
) ty.two states have now adopted the
Colorado prison law either in whole
. or I'm part.
Warden TynHn's system OF convict
road iahor has been a success OF that
there is no question. During his ad-
ministra;ion 12ooo miles of state
roads have been bnilt and such an I'M
petus given to the good roads move
ment that there is not one Of the six
ty.two counties Of the state which
does not have free labor working on
"The prison maintains six road
camps. The men are chosen from the
prisoners by the warden himself and
each is put absolutely anon bis honor
not TO escape. They are not guarded
} with guns and can run away without
much difficulty. by working hard and
faithfully they may cut down their
term hy many years. Once they run
away and are caught they are not
given another chanOe on the road
gang and must serve a longer sen
= ience. Since the establishment OF the
system the per centaRe OF ESCAPES has
been no greater than under the old
guard and gun system.
"Thc reads built under Tynan's ad-
mInistration have cost the state ~
cents for each 81 worth of work. In
addition. roads have lcsn built in
places uat would never have been
developed by free labor because ar
rropristions would not have been forth
coming
lyman declared that while he be-
nevcs In giving the prisoner every
chance to reform. yet he did not wish
u thought that he ignored the fact
that some convicts are not trustwor.
thy ami require ripid discipline
Il believe that fully G5 per cent Of
the men in prisons could be trusted
to work outside tho walls he said
'But the other 35 per cent must havo
strict inside discipline. haze had
1000 men during my service at the
penitent.ary and OF this number so
Ter cent OF those men made good
Moral and physical regeneration
are the things necessary 10 save a man
and IT is our am to bring this about
In each prisoner.
In addition TO the road work VIC
give the prisoners instruction In gar.
deuing and animal husbandry Thcy
seem to take such interest in animals
and our hog AMI sheep herds are well
tekcn care OF Two OF the men who
left prison and who became interested
J in sheep raising wiic there have
made success OF the business and
each is now worth more than $4,000"