South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-01
To HUMANIZE'
PRISONS IN j. s.
Gray Brotherhood, Organize.
ton OF Ex-ConViCtS, Begin
Nationwide Drive.

- Associated Press:
NEW YORK. Jan sl.-A nation
wide campaign TO "humanize" the
prisons OF the United states has
been undertaken by the Gray Broth
erhoOd. an organization OF reform
ed ex-convicts. according TO for
mer inmate OF Sing Sing who served
] o years behind gray stone walls.
Another object OF the campaign fs 20
counteract anarchy for, ne said "of
the 100000 convicts. men and wom-
IN, who annually emerge from
American prisons fully 90 percent
are potential bolshevists
This man, a product Of the New
York siums. who not only redeemed
his own life but saved two younger
brothers from criminal careers. an
as the result OF the Mutual Welfare
work az Sing Sing Of which the
Cray brotherhood movement is am
)fsh0Ot declared that American
penal institutions are being sur
reptitiously flooded with radical lit
erature. with leaflets OF hope to
the oppressed" and that the secret
movement TO bolshevize the nations
prisons is being combatted from the
inside
May BE Plank Issue
re said that supported by the Of
forts Of $4,000 members Of this Gray
brotherhood. its unnamed leader
known as the Gray Brother hopes 20
make prison reform a plank in the
platform Of one Of the big political
parties i'm the next presidential cam
paign. He IS reputed TO be a man Of
great influence i'm Washington and
10 be the intimate Of several sena-
tors. The former Sing Sing inmate
said that the Gray Brother was
back OF a prospective investigation
OF Joliet H.. prison. intended TO be
the first OF the Brotherhood's ma
tiOual prison reform program.
If the GRAY Brother should
come In here now and tell me 20
Jump out OF that window" ca four
story leap. I'D do &c a once" con-
fided the former inmate of Sing
Sing. we all would trust him with
our lives and. believe me. this pris-
on investigation backed by him is
going 20 he a thorough job The
people outside haven't any idea of
how bOlshevism is spreading i'm the
prisons A few days ago for Reds
was discovered by our men. ac-
ually had themselves convicted SO
hey could work behind the bars.
Abolish Red Propaganda.
The Reds have their literature
IN the public Libraries. some teach
ers i'm the public schools are sym
pathetic and for some time they
have been distributing their doc
-rines in prisons. jails and work
houses 10 win over 10 their side the
army Of disconnected malefactors
who have an alleged grievance
8ga.cst society. The Gray Brother
hood is alive to their propaganda,
however. and hopes to abolish It,
One Of the best ways to stop il is 10
treat convicts like human beings
instead Of beasts and give them
chance 20 redeem themselves. The
state is breeding anarchists by
turning at large men and women
who have been brutality treated and
who leave prison with hearts filled
with the desire for retaliation and
revenge
Under the old system a kind
hearted warden is engaged i'm max
ing healthy burglars and porch
climbers OF first offenders. The pris-
on experience did a man no good
and he had no conception of right
and wrong no sense of responsible
ity 90 society. when ne came out
With our method 10 is different As am
illustration. there are 1900 former
eN-conviCts and members Of the well
fare league, in New York city. All
Of them are making good Most Of
them are young and of the I 500
more than 400 were I'm the army or
navy during the war They include
former burglars tboN meul and sim
liar so-Called slick thieves
Osborne SECURES Results.
since Thomas Mott Osborne
former warden at sing Sing. took
charge Of the naval prison at Ports
mouth. " H three years ago. he
has been instrumental i'm returning
10. 600 former inmates men made
over I'M character TO the United
states navy. enough 90 man three
battleships The present crime
wave i'm Chicago is due TO bad
prison treatment and the desire of
ex-convicts to get even II it had
not been for Osborue's administra-
ton In New York prisons Kew York
would be suffering from the same
evil"