Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-10-30
WARDEN M|NTO FILES
REPORT ON PRISON
Number In Prison Now Only
4S7---Many Improve
ments Needed

Crime in the state of Oregon is
steadily decreasing, according to the
biennial report of j. w. Mimic, warden
of the Oregon penitentiary, filed today
with the board of control. When he
assumed the duties of the office after
the tragedy of September 81, 1915,
when Warden H. p. Mimic lost his life
while after an escaped convict, he
says on October |, 1915, he found 800
prisoners in the penitentiary, which
was an increase of 90 or over % per
cent over the number on October ],
1914. This number increased he says
until March of this year when it
reached 566, since when there has been
steady decrease until now there are
less than 4S7. From the statistics of
the prison he believes that crime is
steadily decreasing.
Because of the cOngested condition
of the penitentiary during the past two
years, he said he had been forced TO
place two prisoners to cell. He
accommodated that this should be
changed for in his opinion best results
were obtained by the segregation of
the young and accidental criminal
from those who are criminals by choice.
First offenders he says should be
handled as individuals and not as a
class.
Warden Minto says it is serious
mistake to think that all men in the
penitentiary will reform. He declared
% per cent arc criminals by nature and
training. The other 7j per cent he
says are victims of passion, financial
difficulties, careless raising, and I'M
congenial environment 'fhe greatest
trouble is with the % per cent. He
heartily endorsed the work of the
Prison Board
He also endorsed the parole system
and said the first requirement was that
minimum term of sentence must be
served which he declared was strictly
adhered to. The second requirement is
, that the person to be released shall be
assured means of making a living. The
observances of these requirements he
declares has operated to reduce the
number of releases during the winter
months and to increase them during
the season when work is good. Lack OF
steady paying jobs is the source of
greatest danger to the men out on
parole, in his opinion.
One of the features of the report was
the statements regarding the school
work done during the past year. He
says this experiment has proven of
great benefit as some who were entire
| ly illiterate before learned to read and
write, others refreshed their former
studies, while the general moral and
mental attitude was greatly improved.
| He asks that improvements in the
| school question be taken seriously.
Health conditions in the institution
were excellent, according to his report,
and during the past two years only
eight inmates have died. Improve
mcnts have been numerous and among
them are concrete feeding pens built
bv prison labor, Il brick garage, rear
rangcmcnt of the eommissary depart
ment, chicken houses built, the dairy
barn improved, electric lights installed
| in the basement, work done on the
water ditch, new cell house made, and
the roof of the main building repaired
To replace the shops destroyed by
the fire of May Is, 1916, the Emcrg
ency board authorized the building OF
new structures not to cost more than
Sl5 900. Over million brick are on
hand
i In the past two years the men have
worked 3S,642 ID days for which they
received $S,4l0,53 from the state
which is at the rate of % cents PEE
day. The work was done on the roei
crusher and in the flax industry.
For the next two years, the wardel
saws he needs a water tower that vii
cost about $4,000, two large barns Cont
for horses and one for cattlc) a roo
house in which to store vegetables, al
extension to the guard apartments,
club building for trusty home, repair
to the electric equipment, sewers IN tn
; barn rebuilt, the flume rebuilt, tw'
: large searchhghts placed oh the wall
so that the prison can be illum'nateo
and the avenue to the city stree
!, paved.
, blind poet of the Greeks, as an exam
ple of what adversely can do for