Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-15
SURVEY OF
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staff for a man. My impression is that
Mr.. Chester Cullen, the farmer IN charge
Build a wooden shack on the general
plan of the bunk house at the Deicastle
Farms. but with n hormitory fioor space
Of about $50 square feet, to accommodate
20 prisoners. Let the living room, dining
room and kitchen arrangements be SINH
lar IN those at the bunk house. BY using
your own lumber and the labor of your
own men. such a shack could he built
nrobahly for a cash outlay of $1,000
orsSS, 900.
Let the farm house furnish accommo-
dat,ons for the three officers and for n
nortion of the prisoners, all of whom can
be fed st the outside cottage.
Employ a competent trained woman
as farmer and let the women be employed
mt farming, gardening horticulture,
shicken-raising, and dairying, including
butter making. Women with venereal
diseases should not do dairying,. Let the
women continue to make undercloting for
the men, as heretofore, but let this be
for winter work and stormy weather. Let
there be provisions also for systematic in
struction In domestic science TO the
extent of two or three hours per week.
shall make suggestions with reference
to the possibility of increasing the efiici-
subject OF prison industries
II will be found in practice that women
can do nearly all kinds of farm work as
efficiently as men If properly instructed
and directed, and with benefit both TO
their health and their morale.
THE PRISON STAFF.
In common with all OF the prisons OF the
United States, the Workhouse is suffering
lohn ,oh ha,r
prevailed for considerable number of
wears, but have been doubiy intensified
by the World War. While YOU have some
excellent men, the majority of the men on
your staff are inferior in quality and
superior in age to the average of previous
wears. Very few of your officers are wide
awake. alert and interested in their work
| had personal conferences with several
of YOUR guards, and nearly every one
of them admitted freely that he was a
prison officer. not because Of any particu-
lar interest in the work, but because he
was in need of job. The active, efficient
and ambitious men have sought more
remunerative work, while those who were
unambitious or unable to hold down
good job have staid by.
The recent unfortunate escape of an
important prisoner was traccable di-
rcctly TO this cause. The man escaped
because the warden and three of his
officers were lacking In the alertness,
vigilance, attentiveness, interest and
sense of responsibility, which are essential
qualifications for a good prison officer,
Under these circumstances what happened
was the natural thing.
If the New Castle County Workhouse
is to maintain its reputation, way must
be found to improve the quality OF the
employee force and to attract ambitious
and dIsintereSted Young men who have
had at least a high school course of eduea-
tion. and who are willing 10 endeavor to
qualify themselves for the Job, Mr.. Cal
win Derrick of New Jersey, former super
intcndent of the Westchester County
prison. was successful in enlisting as
guards. young men of this class who
brought to their work enthusiasm and
good will. to the great Improvement of the
Institution. His successor has pursued
the same plan with fair degree of sue
cess. though he has had to contend with
rising labor market.
You need as prison officers men of the
type of your farmers, your engineer. and
one or two of your prison guards, the
men who are vitally interested in their
work and who believe in the possibility Of
developing character In prisoners and are
willing to try for 1t.
SCHOOL FOR PRISON OFFICERS.
In order TO overcome the difficulty
above stated, | would recommend that you
undertake what has not yet been done
by anv other prison, 50 far rs am aware
namely. TO establish at the workhouse a
school for the training of your prison
officers, and that you endesvor TO attract
10 this service young men who are high
school graduates and, perhaps, some of
higher grade of education.
This school should be established on
simple basis, without an elaborate curric
ul,IYn. and the training should be of the
most practical character. The school
should be conducted by the prison
warden. the deputy warden, the physician
and one or two members OF the board OF !
trustees think that il would be possible
to enlist the assistance of Hon. Burdette
Lewis. head of the Department of lnsfItu-
tions and agencies of the State OF New |
Jersey. aud his assistant, Mr.. Calvin
Derrick. both OF whom are practical |
prison men with sensible ideas. / think !
that it might be possible also 10 get some |
help from Warden Mckenty of the |
Eastern Penitentiary at Philadelphia, who |
has practical view of the human side of |
prison administration. Also Prof. L. y. |
Municipal Court In Philadelphia, who has |
gwen good deal of study to the general |
probelm OF prison administration. |
think that each one of these men would |
be willing TO pay at least one visit To the |
workhouse, without compensation, simply |
on payment OF travelling expenses.
myself have had some experience in |
helping prison officers to understand |
their Jobs, and should be willing to assist |
in developing such plan and TO go TO
Wilmington once or twice for that pur-
pose without compensation.
II such school should he undertaken, |
snd the results should justify If, YOU |
might obtain further assistance from such |
excellent prison men as Superintendent |
McClelland of the Westchester County
prison and the new warden Of Sing Sing |
Prison, Major Lawes.