The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1920-12-16
DR.. VREELAND
Sees Danger OF Work
ing Convicts OF
Roads.

tor ~ the Methodist church at Simp-
J sonviI!c. ny, has sent the following
J 20 Hon II Green Garrett chairman
Of the state highway commission
! Honorable u Green Garrett Chair
I man State Highway Commission.
Winch, ster. Kentucky My Dear Sir:
For the ten years Immediately pre-
ccding June the LIST. 1920. was chap
lin Of the state reformatory at Frank
fort In those years ! became very
! much interested in the work u refor.
nation Of prisoners and made many
warm friendships among those who
we're unfortunate enough To be there
under sentences.
Although. no longer officially con
ncctcd with the prison administration
IN Kentucky. nethertheleSs. ! still
! have deep concern m it. welfare
al u,..t..
Early BOZ the month Of October !
read IN the city daily papers that 1t
was proposed by the state road de-
partmcnt to ask the State Board Of
J Claritie. and Corrections for an ad-
| aitioual five hundred men 10 be work
ed on the public roads in the near
future
when ! read the article. felt i'm
J PEELED TO write 20 the road depart
ment. a. well "a the State Board Of
Charlie, and Correction. respectful
ly calling their attention 10 the
dangers that seemed to me TO threat
en- both the inmates and prison adj
ministra,ion by such an unfortunate
move
However. dad not write the letter
J but recently when looking over the
| Sunday Colrier-Journal Of October
the 3lst.. my attention was again
called TO the subject Of an article in
that paper urging the public into the
death IN Harlan county Of Mis-, Par
sons. Pine Mountain Settlement
School teacher. who was recently a.
! sultci and murdered. ! am enclos-
INK you copy Of that article.
The events narrated IN the article
show very plainly now easy il l. TO
direct the finger Of suspicion at men
once convicted II crime. VINO happen
TO be in the vicinity where a new
! crime Is comnStted.
The article aNo illustrates the prao-
t.cal impossibhi,, X having direct
supervision over eonviNvhile in road
work, as well as the imp5>ibility Of
preventing the evils Of Astbling
among men 50 quartercd and sosxat-
tered.
As long as convicts are confined
within the walls Of the state reforma-
tory. II is possible for the watchful
eyes Of the prison warden, prison
: physician and prison chaplain to study
A each individual convict to guage his
mental. moral and spiritual condition,
and 10 adapt the treatment he re-
% quires To his individual needs. so that
IN a few years, he becomes eligible to
parole and also industriously. moral
~ and spiritually equipped for it..
lie can then be released without
guard. and permitted TO re-establish
himself in society under the super
vision Of parole officers. or IL he vio-
/ lates his parole, he may be returned
to the reformarury.
However. with ne convict popula-
ton Of the state scattered about IN
different counties. into widely sepa-
rated road camps IN the same county,
and even IN smaller scattered groups
Of the same road camp. the convict
is removed many miles from the
watchful care Of the prison warden,
prison physician and prison chaplain.
lie j. entrusted 90 the custodian
ship ~ guards who know rarely any
! thing Of modern penology, who have
never studied or thought Of the psy-
chology Of crime or the graduation
that the convict passes through from
criminality 20 repentance and parole.
In road camps, the housing and
sanitary condition of such camps are
necessarily bad, and cannot be favor
ably compared with similar conven-
fences Of an established rcformatory.
The visit Of the physician to the camp
is occasional and he is only called in
when a convict is H. The chaplain
sees him rarely, II at all. in the road
camps. No provision is made, nor i.
i practical to make any for religious
instructions and services in road
camps
In the road camps. the men are
taken from central point Of resi-
dence and labor. away from the pris.
ON where system and order are being
taught, away from the night school
where educational instruction is given
and the principles Of morality ineul-
Gated.
I'm the road campS. the conyiets los.