The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-06
|JAIt SYSTEM IS
| FRUITFUL OF EVIL
lions Urges Establishment of
Prison Farm.
HOUSE FOR CRIPPLED CHILDREN
Board Urges Establishment Of Inst-
tuition for Adequate Care and
Treatment OF Unfortunate Little
Folk

An eloquent appeal for a prison
farm is contained in the annual re-
port of the State Board Of Charities
and Corrections filed yesterday with
Governor Stuart by the president of
the board. Rev. s. c. Hatcher. The
establishment of home for the care
OF crippled children Is also warmly
advocated in the detailed report OF
the operations of the department for
the past year.
The report makes an appeal for q
prison farm for misdemeanors. de-
claring that 1t IL not a luxury, but a
necessity. The inmates Of the pris-
ons will. through It's establishment.
get better treatment than they do now
and deserve 1t and need it. Not all
Of the inmates OF the prisons are
criminals. as 1t 10 generally supposed.
the report asserts. but they are I'M
fortunates. due to bad influences OF
heredity and environment, the drug
or drink habit. These can be given
better outlook on life. and intu-
ences that will prove Of the greatest
benefit.
"At present we shut the prisoners
up in cages, denying them sunshine,
fresh ar and exercise" the report
reads. land II is q treatment altoeeth-
err inhuman. The food We give our
prisoners Is too coarse to be digest
cd by airy save those who do the
most severe form of manuel labor.
Perhaps when a farm is provided rhe
food win not be much better than
that row generally supplied. but the
prisoners will at least be given the
opportunity to take tho proper ex-
ercise TO digest IT."
Jail System to Blame.
Our treatment Of jail prisoners Is
consciously brutal, the report reads.
Many tailers are honest. humane men
who do the best they can under the
circumstances. 1t is the jail system
that Is to blame. This system brings
out the worst that slumbers In man
and when the prisoners leave the jo1ls
they como out with on a dss 70 TO
wreak revenge upon society,
The farm for the care OF crippled
children ia stro gly endorse. There
are any number OF infants who are
dcrectSe through intannie paralysis
! and otho~ causes, aLa whose condi-
| ton could be renedted with the
! proper facilities. Instances are told
OF children who were sect TO North
! arn institutions and sent back almost
! in perfect health, due to treatment.
! which IL given to the children of Ntr-
GINA, would save hundreds OF them,
and give tbs g ate a moro healthy cit
F., izenship.
Much common dable work has been
done by the department for the past
year. In the child helping depart
ment 92e children were committed to
the care of the board by Judges and
| M a@tSt -ates OF scventy-twc counties
and seventeen cities in tie State.
They were charged with all sorts Of
crimes from stealing to murder. OF
! this number, 765 were colored, and
! in the majority OF cases the cause for
| com mittment WAS due TO the lack of
! proper home Influences They were
/ being placed in homes where through
| the exercise OF good influence. they
will be raised to become setf-respect-
/ ing ciSrers.
I Work of Probation Officers.
| Another good work beEHx done by
/ the board Ia that accomplished by it's
! probation officers. These ofnctals con-
/ Germ themselves entirely with cases OF
non support. influencing the man to
| so to work and In such cases as they
/ are unsuccessful in -persuading them
! tha cases arc brought to court and
! work found for the men, their earn
! inEs being turned over to the mem
( bers OF their family for their support.
! In this way s1e,4 was distributed
through the year.
/ There are approximately 5000
I cases OF feeble m!ndedness In the
/ State. only a.ooo OF which are in
/ custodial care. Everything possible
I Is being lone for this class OF unfor-
] tunates, but there is only one institu-
, ton In the state which is devoted to
| their interests tlis one being at Falls
I Church.
Detailed reports are included.
| covering every institution OF charity
/ or correction in the State. over all OF
which the board has supervising juris-
I diction.