The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-05-03
HONOR SYSTEM
RULES PRISON
GUARDS FEW AND REGULA
TIONS RARELY BROKEN
New Castle Country Workhouse Tries
Out Experiment IN Penology
With Success

y
sonal parole day and night; where
guards are few and rules are rarely
broken; where, life terlners work un-
guarded outside the prison walls and
where punishment, when needed is
decided on and administered by the
prisoners-this is the New Castle
county workhouse, in the outskirts OF
this city, where "a remarkable expert
ment in penology is being carried out
by a warden who believes men the
world over are being driven to crime
by existing prison methods.
The New Castle county workhouse
this month rounds out it's first year
under the direction e Of Mordecai S,
Plummer, the warden who Instituted
the "honor system" in May, 1920
There are today 337 prisoners, slight
ly more than half of them colored.
May Be- ,'cufed."
Mr.. Plummer believes that crime
is mental afliction and that men
can be Cured by proper treatment.
He believes that 95 per cent. of the
men in prisons are morally sound and
that only 5 per cent. are "ineurable." "
It is his theory that kindly and human
interest shown in prisoner inspire
him with the conviction that society
is is friend, not his enemy and that
he will respond by becoming use
full member of society. In a recent
address to the state legislature in be-
half of a parole law similar to the
one enacted in Wisconsin, he decla--
ed: i,
"Most jails are schools of vice, hot
beds of disease, leprous, foul and i'm
moral, where abnormal conditions
pervert and unbalance the mind,
where men become mere elemental
beasts and where initiative and en-
ergy is sapped."'
I in the carrying out of Warden
Phimmer's theory, the internal af-
fairs of the workhouse are administer
I'D :. by. the prisoners themselves,
Through an "hohor conn. of
sight men, whose chairman is a man
serving 1S years for manslaughter
and which includes on it's membership
three "life termers." There are va
rious subcommittee on. cleanliness,
morals, recreation andSqtbsr matters.
s "A prisoner who breaks rule is re-
ported, tried by the committee, which
ats every night, and punishment
meted out. This takes the form of
partial extreme ostracism by the 9TH
rs prisoners, which it is declared, is
the punishment felt most keenly. The
culprit is represented by counsel at
these hearings and may appeal to the
warden, but rarely does.
Onlys Six Guards
There are now only six guards in
the institution. These are in the
main stationed at the doors and car
ry the keps. The prisoners have their
meals and recreation without guard
present, do their work unguarded and
leave in patches for work on the sur
rounding farm with one of their num-
Der in charge. In the tailor shop, $50
men work all day long under the sole
supervision of men selected by them
selves.
The prison is scrupulously clean.
The men have a band of rs pieces,
a glee club, two baseball teams and
dramatic societies. They are allowed
visitors at any time when IL will not
interfere with their work, and may be
seen in the corridors near the en-
trance conversing freely with rela-
tives. Gifts are not restricted. 'They
can bring them dynamite if they
want" said the warden. "It wouldn't
be used''.
In the main corridor is store
where candy, tobacco, soap, toilet ar
tciles (including razprs), biscuits and
novelties are sold cost.
The prisoners work eight hours a
day and have from $50 until 8 p. M
for recreation, in addition to having
free access to the yard or recreation
rooms during the day when tasks are
finished ahead of time or are 'empor-
arily lacking.
Few Try to Escape'
Only SIX prisoners have attempted
to escape under the ''honor system.
Three of these were recaptured and
punished by their fellows.
On the Saturday half holiday, base
ball games are played, with outside
teams sometimes present, and many
snactators. On SUNDAYS. church Serv-