Norwich bulletin., 1916-05-01
PUTNAM LAWYER ePokE
 AT eREENEviLLE CHURCH.
Attorney Edgar M. Warner Advoeates State Control of Our County 5aII.

Al Gi7E'EfsE 4lt<E @ff gtfGf1s8 Attorney Edgar M. Warner Advocatss
 State Control of Our County 5aiI.
 n an address at the Greeneyille Congregations church on Sunday morning Attorney Edgar M, Warmer nf Putnam advocated state control Of our county tails.
 It is apparent to any careful ob- server that while prisons are fairly well managed, our county Jaiis are open to much nritieisun, said Alr, Warner. Elie pysteEn is objectionable. the war aena and keeperH do as wei las they eans but the system ie wrong. No att tempte ara made eE reformation of the pFtsoRera. No trades are taught. No aeheola ara established. The prisoner Goes put no batter than he came in, and soon returns for another term. The ipdeteEEa3nate sentence should be en- acted for jail ofRenses. The prisoner should be confined till he changes his mind and decides to, become a sober, self supporting man. Fines and costs never reformed anybody.
 The 3ails of our state, eleven in number, should Do placed under state control. At present the jail inmate ts confined for short terms and the young and inexperienced are permitted to associate with older and hardened criminals and often come out much worse than when first confined Any person ovar IS years of age convicted of any crime unless placed in the hands cf c probation officer must be sent to county jail or state prison. If sent to confinement will not In any way reform him. The system Is such that the temptation to continue in crime will be overpowering and the criminal will become permanently degraded and will join tho deliberately criminal class.
 The most common offense of jail ir- mates ie drunkenness and breach of peace.
 The punishment Is fine of not more than SEQ or Imprisonment of not more than thirty days.
 The usual sentence is ten days or a
 The effect of this administration of criminal law as to drunkards is most deplorable and expensive. It has pro- duced class called rounders who plan to be supported in idleness by the state. These men get drunk when ever they can, are generally arrested early in their spree, go to jail for a short team, where they have little work and good food--they stay their time out and are discharged neither cured or punished, but eagerly ready for ar1- other drunken spree and another short term in jail, thus going the round of saloon, gutter, police court and jail. A never ending circle.
 The man who was committed to the New Haven jail for drunkenness in May, 1878, and who has been released for a short time, say one-h half day each month since, think. is still there, hav- ing been supported in jail for about 3S years. It is almost impossible to say how many times this man has been prosecuted for drunkenness but 1t is res %s, IT1 i,- type of a large class; nobody actual ly knows how large class. Estimates have been made ranging from two to six thousand. In Hartford county there are about 100 noted rounders. The shocking career of Maud Hunter and Nellie Collins, whose only residence was the jail, ought to arouse decent people to demand change of the laws so that such characters could not exist In a civilized community.
 The remedy for this evil state of af- fairs is regular work with such educa- ton as the rounder can receive, the confinement being long enough to pro- duce in him habits of self control. Stern, severe measures alone will att tract his attention. He should be con- fined in reformatory institution un- der an tndeterminate sentence until he is cured and 1t is safe to turn him loose on society. He must thoroughly understand that he cannot get drunk and go at large. The state of Con- necticut might with great advantage start a farm colony for men and arl- other for women both under state con- trol, to which all drunkards should be committed, and where they should be confined until reformed. A successful attempt in 8, small way has been made at the farm attached to the Norwich insane hospital, but only about 75 can be accommodated, whereas many more, say 1000 or 1.50e, should be provided for If any such drunkards should show ability to do other work than farm work, they should be transferred to the refornatory and taught trade Public sentiment should at once de- mand the entire and absolute banish- menf of drunken men from all public conveyances, trolley cars, steam cars, or steamboats. the comfort and lives of women and little children are now too silamefully jeopardized.
 IS the reformation of these drunl1ards possible?
 It certainly Is. The lives of John B. Cough, Sam. Hadley, Jerry McCauley, Valentine Burke and hosts of others prove the possibility of reformation. The prison work of such women as Elizabeth Frye and Maud Balsington and moral regeneration of even the most degraded individuals.
 The prison missionary should make 1t his duty to consistently lend himself as a warm. devoted friend to some fellow sinner who has fallen by the wayside. He should stay by that weak brother till he can stand alone. It is victim can be made to understand that he can reform, that he can overcome his weakness, then the future for that man is secure.