Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-11

r HAVE been asked by many serious
l. minded persons here in Philadelphia who
are interested in the prison movement and
no doubt anxious workers for better condi-
tons in our correctional institutions cspn-
cially along the line of the new idea for
State prison farms and tho introduction of
the honor system, to explain or give some
opinion upon the causes underlying the
trouble, riots and prison mutnies ut the
Joliet Penitentiary in Illinois / am very
glad Of the opportunity to say something
upon this matter, because if there is one
phase Of our prison question that l am ia
miliar with it is this very vital matter.
Before touching seriously upon what I
consider the trouble at Joliet let us can
ddly examine the points complained of by
the warden of that institution. In all we'll
conducted places of incarceration one of the
most carefully guarded and conducted de-
partments of a prison is the matter of
the interchange of correspondence between
a convict and his free correspondent or
| correspondents. Every letter received or
sent out of such an institution Is rigidly
I
| strictest rules of such an institution never
to allow an Objectionable letter to be either
received or sent. Therefore | ask readers
! to weigh this point we'll and If such a lax
condition prevailed at the Illinois peniten-
| tiary, then l ask in all fairness where
| the responsibility for such a condition
| should rest: Upon the convict or the con-
vict's custodians? Such a bill Of accusa-
tions or complaints will not and should
not be taken seriously for one moment
The Mess Hall
We read, For some time there have
| been reports of lax discipline at the prison
| and conditions were the subject Of a recent
| investigation by a legislative committee "
Note this point: "At o'clock breakfast
| time today dishes were hurled at the
| guards, tables overturned and the convicts
surged into the grounds shouting and
making threats They grabbed what mis-
siles and weapons they could, and at ia
| o'clock they set fire to the prison build.
ings." That word "the mess hall" sum-
| marizes the crux of all prison troubles and
I will hazard the assertion that the causes
Of the Illinois prison mutinies hinge
around that storm center of all prisons the
mess hall.
have in my prison experiences been in
volved in at least seven serious prison riots
and mutinies, and on several occasions
suffered the most inhuman and unmention-
able tortures that were inflicted upon me for
being identified with such, l, presumably
being given the credit as one Of the principal
agitators and ringleaders. One such expe-
rience will suffice San Quentin prison, Cali.
fornia, is one Of the largest penal institu.
tions in America. At the time / have in
mind that place was conducted as a political
adjunct TO the party then in power in thai
State, and the said prison was used as
the dumping ground for the political bench.
men, hacks and chair-warming buns OF
that administration
Conditions were atrocious From the
warden down to the lowest and most bruta
guard incompetency was the order of the
day.
The strait-iacket dungeons were fun Il
capacity. stabbings and killings were com.
mon symptoms Of the Internal troubles AZ
that vast ipstitution Humane ana public.
spirited citl1ena protested. and conanlainf,
were even reSIslefed with he Governor 81