The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-16
COMMON SENSE IN
RUNNING PRISONS
Former Secretary to War
den of Sing Sing Before
WOman's Club
NEW SYSTEM URGED
BY DONALD LOWRIE

Would Have Convicted Persons Given
Indeterminate Sentences - The Club
Adopts Resolution Favoring Better
Marriage Laws.
| The BrattIcboro Toman,s club at
meeting held in the banquet room Of the
| Odd Fellows temple yesterday after
noon took action similar to that of the |
| Brattleboro Ministerial union Monday |
/ by adopting a resolution asking the |
Brattlcboro representative to use his |
| influence to have the marriage laws of |
| Vermont made to conform to those of |
! neighboring states, and the members
heard an interesting and enlightening |
address on Common Sense in Prison |
Management by Donald Lowrie, former |
| secretary to Thomas Mott Osborne of
Sing Sing Prison.
The meeting was presided over by
Mrs Henry r. Brown, the president. |
Mrs. W. 5. Bassett sang two solos ac-
companied by Mrs. j. G. Fstey, with
violin obligato to one by Miss Doroth-
Shorey.
Mr.. Lowrie advocates a new prison
system under which persons convicted
of otfenses against the law and order of
the state should receive indeterminate
sentences in some place of detention.
In such places he would have the pris-
oners taught industry self control
respect for the laws of the country and
other necessary essentials to good citi-
zenShip, to replace the present meth
eds under which 80 per cent OF the per
sons committed to prison become second
offenders.
The first part of Mr.. LOwrie 5 address
was devoted 10 demonstrating the inius.
tIce of the present system OF arbitrary
sentences. under which first offender
may receive sentence of % wears. for
a comparatively petty attempted crime.
while IN the same risOn there NAV be
a confirmed criminal, serving perhaps
ms 10Th term, whose sentence NAV Sc
only one year. ''Crimc.'' said the
speaker, els merely a man-made de-
gree of sin, and it is wrong TO try to
: mt the penalty to the offence. instead
of to the offender.
S The evils of what he termed most
stupid prison system were then ex-
/ planned by the speaker, who told how
a prisoner upon arriving Mt the prison
. 20 which he was sentenced ceased to
" nave any further responsibilities. He
not only became a prisoner, but a pau
Q per as well, since his earning capacity
ceased with his Incarceration. and he
lost not only his liberty. but his man
Q hood. If the prisoner drifted along on
= the muddy current of prison affairs. he
was regarded rs a model prisoner.
r, 'Ihe new system. - said Mr.. T,owrie
s "would be constructive. or at loast
would endeavor to construct rather
# than to destroy. the human bein0 ),
Y Inc prison would not be a place of nm
lshmcnt, but an institution rather moro
>. resembling hospital, where the prison
! er would be looked upon as a person
not to be punished, but to be cured. Bv
virtue of the indeterminate sentence
;; 1t would be strictly up to the prisoner
q as to how long he would remain in tho
IL institution, and the most important
feature of the new system wouId no
- mat the prisoner would be paid for his
labor.
The speaker believed that by paving
the prisoners for their work. the pris.
onS could be made self-supportine. 50
that they would not cost the commun-
ltles cent, instead of having tLn
Keeping of ], 900 men in Sing Sing. IN
der the most wretched conditions. cost
the state of New York a quarter Of =
million dollars annually. The prisoner
would learn responsibility through be-
ing compelled to pay from his EARNINGS
for everything that he received TO SIM.
port his family or any dependents
whom he might have, or to make rosti-
tuition for the wrong which he had
done. Under present conditions when
a man goes to Jail everybody loses
the person wronged. the prisoner. his
family, and the public who must sun.
port the prisoner and his family.
MI. Lowrie believed that specifc
amount might be assessed as payment
Tor the damage done by the prisoner
ana that the payment of this sum
should be one of the conditions pre
cedent to his release. The men wouId
be taught how to use their freedom
when released and would be provided
with sufficient money from their earn.
lngS TO enable them to get a start in
new life. They would also have
learned respect for the law bv HAVING
attractions of the prison rules punished
by fines, which would delay their re.
ease. The prisoner would automati.
cally earn his release when he had com.
Phed with certain requirements
A splendid tribute to Thomas Mott
'he man, ana TO the work
winch he accomplished as warden at
olng SING was paid by Mr.. Lowrie.
MI. osborne s reforms included the
sen -2oVefnlng idea by which all
trouble among the prisoners is settled
ny thelf own self-elected court of five
members, the removal of the ouards
from the workshops and the establish
ment of the Mutual Welfare leaoue
for the mutual betterment and upIift
OF the prisoners. Mr. Osborne s idea
OF q central Identification bureau
where all the fngerprints taken
throughout the country could be classi.
ned and kept, and where under a re-
Gently devised system any set of prints
could be obtained in short time. was
explained and was declared by the
speaker to be scientific, sound and SEN
sible.