The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-01-31
Prison Inmates
 Meet To Solve
 Crime Problem

San F'rancisco.-wilI the solution of society'S age-old problem come from the inside of the stone walls of institutions erected by society to guard itself against the cancer of crime and criminals?
 One of the most remarkable meet this possibility. It was a. gathering of the 1900 prisoners of St Quentin, California's grim structure of white stone, nestling along the sunny shores of San Rafael.
 The meeGng-one of the regular weekly gatherings held by the priS- oners without the presence of guards set itself to the considration of it's million more men and women con fined in penal institutions of the United States.
 The California. Legislature nosv has before it a measure which would abolish the indeterminate sentence law.
 This topic brought the question of | a solution of one of the questions | which have baffled sociologists and | peace officers alike before the men l whose careers have caused society to set them apart and restrain their lib | erty.
 | The discussion was free and it was 1 the consensus of opinion of the gath l ering that a constructive plan be of l fered prison officials and the Legisla- ture as a solution of the problem of handling crime and criminals.
 The best minds within the institu- tion, and concededly there are many bright men there, today are working on the plan-
 No great sympathy was expressed by any of the speakers for the hard ened criminal during the meeting, those present stated But to those to whom confinement has brought a new light hope was held out What shape the proposed plan will take 1 will be determined at later meetings.
 Fred T. Eldridge. chairman of the meeting, delivered the keynote of the meeting and declared that ignorance was the root of all social evil. Sta tiStics, he said, show that 75 per cent of alr>cTimes are committed by persons who have never seen the ln- side of a penal institution
 terrible indictment against the past and present reformative system Tn vogue and prove conclusively that notifications of a higher quality l must be introduced and maintained before any results worthy of consld-
 eration can be accomplished With
 men who have had the misfortune to | be sent to a State priSon?
 Until society demands that a more
 progressive system be invoked in Its
 prisons it must not complain about
 the production of it's present cher'
 ished mode of reformation
 No Place For Politics
 One of the first steps toward a SO lution of the prison problem, Fl 1 dridge pointed out. was the placing in the hands of non-political board: - all branches of reformation H' said:
 "AlI branches ard methods of re | formation, from rhes police depart | ment to the penal institution. should be taken out of the hands of politica Il aspirantsp and henchmen and placed | in the hands of qualified thinkers ana | educators. A psychological treat ! melt should be given to each of | fender, and these offenders should h. | kept in restraint only until a thor \ ough investigation has been estab | lshed. and the powers and function | if mind have been restored or ele vated to normal conditions again: fo \ .rime in it's entirety is the result O | a disease and a physical punish \ men will never cure mental veal | ness. and any meds er .ysten reformation which has Duntnhma