Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-03-20
SUGGESTS PRISON
REFORM. IN Vt.
DIR. H. S. Hart of Russell Sage
Foundation Makes Address
at the State House

Montpelier. March 13.-Dr. Hastings H.
Hart, secretary Of the Russell Sage
Foundation Of New York. and recognised
as one OF the leading authorities in the
country on prison reform n child well
fare. talked this evening on these two
subjects to an audience which filed to
capacity the reception room at the State
House. The Hon. James B. Estee Of
Montpelier presided. and preliminary re-
marks were made by W. H. Jeffrey. State
probation officer. and Frank Tracy,
sheriff Of Washington county.
DR.. Hart praised the work Of Sheriff
Tracy in instituting in Montpelier and
Washington county the plan Of putting
the prisoners out to work. where work
Is to be found, n thus making them
pay for their keep, with something to
spare for themselves. The speaker said
that Sheriff Tracy was a pioneer in this
line of prison reform and that many
other States and districts were now copy
Ing the Montpelier plan and that Sheriff
Tracy had already made a name for him.
self az an authority on prison reform
throughout the country.
Speaking of the States prison at
Windsor. DIR. Hart said that the prison
Ia very well kept up and we'll managed.
I'LL NitcStAy u tl6ll tu6Ee, ne
pointed out the defects and the
following recommendations: That the
women should be by themselves Uhe
present system Of keeping them being
bad both for the mn and the men)
that a woman's reformatory should be
established and the further away from
the mems place of detention the better;
that the reformatory should not be in
fha II tuna nj N N~la0~ A,,t -l--l., -
farm. With cottages. where the women
could raise farm products and be self
supporting.
tenn under which the work Of the prison
ers Is let out to contractors. He main
tainsd that the firms which arc making
these contracts are working the State
Every day you are forcing your pris-
oners to tell Il lies." aid DR.. Hart.
when you allow the shirts made by
them to so out with the guarantee that
they are made in Milwaukee,"
AS a remedy for this situation, the
speaker suggested that the State buy four
Ford trucks. carrying ten men each. and
transport he inmates Of the prison to
such places In the nearby country where
labor might be needed. thus enabling the
farmers and others to get extra helm
when they required It, and assisting the
prisoners to earn something near what
they are worth. rather thar disgrace
their manhood and keeping up unfair
competition by allowing them to work In
these days for the sum of 81 cents a day.
DIR. Hart favored the consolidation plan
which is being worked out for the States
prison and the House Of Correction, urged
the reconstruction Of the hospital at
Windsor. and suggested that the buildings
now being used by tho House of Correc-
ton at Rutland might be handy as a
branch Of the Home for the Feeble
Minded.
With reference to the problem of tbs
dependent child In Vermont, DR.. Hart
endorsed the action Just taken by the
various religious communions of thu
state In asking that dependent children
J hereafter be separated from delinquent
children In their care. He maintained
that dependent children should not be
sent to the Industrial School at Yer
gennes. but should be taken care of In
some other way, preferably by the
placing" method. whore good homes
could be found.
The speaker declared that Massachu-
sets Is every year sending its overflow
or dependent children into Vermont
homes to be cared for. and there are
plenty of good homes in the State
which should be used to take care OF
Vermont's dependent children, before
the problems of Massachusetts, are
tackled.