Paragould soliphone., 1921-12-28
WARDEN DYCHE : PRISON
 NIGHT SCHOOL
Rudimentary Courses Are Taught to Inmates of Federal Penitentiary at Atlanta.
By WILLIAM E. HAYES, International News Service StaIL
 CorraonOn6pnt


 Correspondent
 Atlanta, Ga, Dec. 24.-Educa-' tion as a potent agency for the uplift of human standards, and the abolition of many minor misdemean- ors which eventually may lead to greater transgressions of law IS |agaih proven in the administrator |of J. F. Dyche, warden of the Ato |lanta Federal Penitentiary, accord7I ing to prison officials closely con1 nected with the administration. MT. Dyche came to the fedora prison here last June to take up the executive office, and interesting results may be observed from the ill- stallation of night school in the prison for the benefit of inmates who have been deprived of OppOr- [tunity for elementary schooling on the outside.
 When MT. Dyche came to the penitentiary here it was 8 common thing for the isolation ward of the prison to be filled daily because of minor and even serious offenses, prison officials state.
 The warden conceived the idea of a night school to give the men ad- vantages which they might have been deprived of in their former life, and two weeks after the night school became effective, prison rec ,ords show, there was marked de- crease to she isolation building. l In recent weeks only four at one time are recorded to have been in that portion of the penitentiary, and each of these cases was for trivial offenses. It is said that
 there are hardly ever more than two at a time in the building since the school was started.
 The courses taught are rudimen- tary, and although an effort has been made to secure instructors from
 outside the prison so far it has not been possible. Instructors are, therefore, obtained from among the inmates of the institution who are qualified to act.
 Henry w. Thompson, superintend-
 ent of construction at the new Illi- nois state penitentiary, recent visitor at the Atlanta prison, ex- pressed amazement when told of the results accomplished by the night school system both in building mor- ale and lessening violation of pris- on rules,
 T have been closely connected
 with prisons of many kinds" he said, "and it strikes me that the system Mr. Dyche has sponsored since coming here is one of the most humane efforts I have ever observed toward helping the fellow
 who is down. "At the Illinois state penitentiary,. :. at Joliet, we deal, I believe, with the most desperate criminals, and it strikes me that if some such method were inaugurated there, whereby these men could have the advantage of securing good, sound educational knowledge, we would have better prison morale, and there would be less of the frequent uprisings which have manifested themselves in time past"
 Warden Dyche, differing vastly from the old-school type of prison warden has made friend of every convict in his institution. Twice and sometimes three times a week
 he visits the hospital ward, speaks to each man confined there per |sonally, inquires as to their welfare and is never lacking in words of comfort to those who are afflicted with sufferings.
 Dyche has made it an iron-clad rule to speak to every prisoner he meets on the grounds of in the cell houses, curtly, but cordially. He never asks even the slightest favor of a prisoner but what he returns cheery thank you"
 This policy might not be in ac- cordance with the old conventionali- ties of prison management" MT Dyche told the International News Service, but find that afu o@st- ting results. The records will NSA1kl that you can do lot with wai
 human kindness"