The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-16

the prisoners, still do not believe
It would have been very long
before a similar trouble would
have happened, with far more seri-
Gus results. Now that it has been
several months since the trouble.
and there has been time for re-
Election. I can say that if it was
all to do over again I would not
make any change in the plans that
were carried out, for I believe from
the standpoint Of discipline that
it wasathe best thing that could
have happened for the welfare Of
the prison.
AS to the rules governing the
pcnitentiary, will say that I did not
find any prison rules when I came
here and have not formulated any.
I have tried to be governed by the
rules Of common sense. When a
prisoner comes to the penitentiary
he soon learns that as long as he
behaves himself, respects the
guards and goes about his work in
an orderly manner, he need never
expect anything but good kind
tres tment. There are now over
five hundred inmates in the peni-
tentiary and I can safely say that
possibly ninety per cent of them
never have an unkind word spoken
to them. The other ten per cent
are the ones that give trouble and
have to be punished. In all pris-
ons that ! know anything ABOUT,
some form of punishment has to
be inflicted in order to maintain
discipline, and I do not believe
there is another prison anywhere
with the same number and class OF
men as we have here where less
punishment is inflicted. In the
management of all prisons the
question is. who is going to control.
the officials or the prisoners? When
the day comes that I can't control
it, and will have to let the prisoners
abuse the guards, fight, refuse to
work, and do as they please. I am
willing to surrender my position to
someone else.
I beg to say that I have been
superintendent for nearly six
years. The Board Of Public Vel
fare has been. in existence about the
same length of time. Ishave tried
to work along with them in peace;
and harmony, they or their repre-
sentatites, have often visited the
penitentiary, and always ac-.
companied them on their rounds Oh
inspection and would go over with
them everything that I had done
or was trying to do. When their
inspection was over they would
usually pat me on the back and
commend my management, etc.
Of.ceurse i realize that conditions
are not perfect, but I, think in all
fairness, that if the board had had
any criticisms 20 make they should
have come to me in spirit Of
and helpfu1ness and
laid them before me, and thereby
given me a chance to explain OF
correct whatever they might have
deemed necessary. This they have
never done. The investigation held
last June was not known to me un-
til the report which was made
public last week. I know that con-
ditions at the peniteniary lack a
great deal of being. IDEAL they are
certainly not as I would like to
have them. The great trouble IS
that penitentiary ever since I have
known it has been run on too cheap
a scale; money is what is needed
to bring about the changes that will
meet the modern day demand. Let
the legislature put up the money
and I will have buildings erected
that will meet their requirements.
It is an easy matter for one to
sit in a skyscraper or live many
miles away to tell haw penitenti-
ary should he run and how the
men should be handled, but after
all it is only those who are On the
ground and come in daily contact
with the problems that know what
it is. am now closing my sixth
year as superintendent. = have
given the stare my best and most
conscientious service and have tried
to run the prison on strict business
principles and on a high moral and
humane plane, and whenever I re-
tire it will be with a clean hand
and a clear conscience.
= I don't think it will take the
stretch of the imagination to tell
what might be behind the report.
I will say in conclusion that I am
a candidate for reelection and am
making the race strictly on my
record and or. it I am willing to
stand or fall.
A. K. SANDERS.
TO REMAIN
IN PRISON
Oconee Sheriff Has Charges