The sun., 1916-12-21
THE NEW SING SING.
Shall II Follow the system Of the Oh
Punltive I%nstltutiou?


To M EpiroR OF TIE suN-sir: The
people Of the State OF New York are
deeply interested in the question as to
whether the new administration at
Sing Sing will continue the self-sovern-
ing system Of Mr.. Osborne or whether
II will relapse into the old fashioned
repressive system of which Clinton
prison In this State furnishes q typical
example.
A deep spiritual gulf separates these
two systems. The old system aims to
punish men for crime. with the supposed
corollary hat the punishment improves
the character Of the men and deters
others from crime. Clinton Prison is a
particularly bad type Of prison in that
II has always been the punishment
prison" Of the State. which has carried
with It the taclt permission to use
upon the many difficult cases sent there
from other prisons more severe meas
ures than those In use else where.
When punishment Ia aimed at In n
prison We nay rest assured hat cruelty
In achieved. The foundation Of the
old system Is to regard inmates as
criminals and not as men. Such a sys-
tern is dominated BY fear. lives over =
powder magazine Of smouldering resent.
ment n aims 10 keep itself safe by
brutal punishments which brighten the
mass OF The inmates into sullen
acQuiescence. II Is true that torture in
prisons Is disappearing under public
opinion. but the spirit OF the admins
tration is the same. under which is
full duty Is held to be the keeping Of
the inmates closely locked up even
though this crushing process discharges
from prisons wrecks instead OF men.
This spirit Of Official contempt. indif-
ference and brutality breeds among the
men a spirit of hatred and a determi-
nation to get even" with society when
released. which In strengthened by
their realIsins the crime which society
has committed against them.
On the economic side Mr.. Villa
Dean Howelis has pointed out cha
where a man steals n small sum Of
money and tic State steals his labor
for a long term Of years. theft Tor
theft. the man is the small thief and
the state is the big thief. The state
commits a crime against It's imprisoned
wards when II houses them for years in
small. damp. stone cells with tubcrcu-
losis and chronic rheumatism resulting.
when II 70 represses them that many
go insane. and when II neglects to furnish
moral education and stimulus.
The new system approaches the prison
problem from the standpoint OF pity. not
Of hate pity for Tire men born with
mental defects. for the men raised In
foul environments without education IN
right things. SCARED and scanned by
dissipation and disease. unframed and
unable TO compete in the industrial oil.
sanitation. The new system. without
the slightest aim at punishment. faces
the problem how to build M ttcsc men
physically. mentally and morally so
that they can go straisht when tsey
return TO society. This is the only de-
feasible aim OF prisons and the only
way in which society can 0e protected.
Certainly tie old system is an AFFECT
failure. under which the stream OF dis
c;arged convicts returns by thousands
annually TO prey upon society by prac.
Using the only profession they know.
having no influence during their prison
terms to make them want anything
different.
Mr.. Orborne bases his system on Mr..
Gladstone's d!ctum that at is only
liberty that fits men for liberty IL IL
difficult TO think OF any more d.scour-
aging field in which to institute any
measure OF liberty than the walled con-
lines OF "A prison. but II was In Auburn
ana sin sing that prison sclf-govcrn-
n'eht was started.
T.is sef-soNernmcnt necessarily lim-
.tcd~tn It's scope. depended for its sue
cess upon a sufficient amount "f self
control to take the place OF the disciplin-
airy repression from above. The hrst
tho long hours In the cells and permit
tie men 10 meet IN the chapel or in the
yard under supervision OF tAelr own
elected officers. II Is significant that
While i2i men went insane IN New York
states prisons In the fiscal year 1913
only ~sixty-one became insane in 1914.
the year this system was started :.
: forty-iNe N 1915 and forty-six IN 1916.
when the outdoor system was further
developed and extended.
In place Of discipline enforced by
punishment, stress Is laid upon privi-
leges for good conduct. and. in particu-
lar. new interests. ambitions and hopes
are furnished to the men to replace the
broodings OF the past. In n word. the
one aim is n change OF heart in the
men. II IL true that all the men do
not respond some are mentally In
capable. others are hardened b. long
nrlson forms hut no Eich pronoitiOn Of