The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-28
THE PURPOSE OF PRISONS


 There are many who regard efforts at prison reform as sentimental con- cern in behalf of convicts. To De sure, that element enters into such programs, but the primary purpose of prison reform is the same as that underlying the establishment of pris- ons, namely, the protection of society from criminals. The humanitarian as- pect of rescuing criminals from lives of crime is by-product, good and worthy in itself, but subordinate iu importance to the greater benefit to society. Prison reform, or sys- tematic rehabilitation of criminals therefore is but the completion of the purpose of protecting society. If -e- moval of a criminal from active life for period of years is salutary and worth while, certainly the curing of a criminal for all time is still more of public benefit.
 Treatment of prisoners and the conduct of prisons has greatly im- proved in the past hundred years. Formerly prisoner was thrown into cell or dungeon, according to the severity of his crime or the heartless- ness of his jailors, and left there for the period of his sentence, without regard to his health, his mental state or his moral welfare. Criminals of all degrees and types were frequently herded together and permitted to hatch up new maraudings for the pe- riod when they should be set at lib- e~ty. Unfortunately, this herding is still prevalent in many states of our Union, to the utter defeat of all the ends of justice and of protecting so- ciety. Thus, in many states, the treat ment of prisoners is such as to con firm them in their tendencies and to make more bitter their resentment against the law and society. Such a policy is actually. to make of the prisons crime factories which redouble the cost and task of law enforcement, and the apprehension and trial of those caught. Such policy is foolish in the extreme, and entirely without defense in either justice or necessity.
 Fortunately, in some states the treatment of criminals, convicts and prisoners is based on scientific and sociological principles. The criminal is the victim of environment, of heredity or of physical or moral ailment. To regard him as a clinical subject is the only modern and intelligent policy. To diagnose his case, to discover its cause and to apply the remedy are the successive steps towards making Imprisonment a permanent cure, instead of a temporary relief from ufmina'a depredations. Those who do not have such concep- ton of the state's duties towards it's convicts are unworthy of their trust and unfit to continue in it. Such view. of prison administration is not sentimentality, but practical meet ing of definite, concrete and ines capable situation.
 It is with modern and enlightened concept of its duty to society that the prison administration of Pennsylvania outlines a plan for supervision of con- victs after they are released from durance. Part of this plan consists in the carrying out of the idea con- tained in the slogan: "Out of prison into a job." Employers dislike to hire ex-convicts, and honest men dis like to have ex-convicts working by their side. Yet there must be occupa- tions to which ex-convicts may be ad- mitted, in pursuance of the program of making the protection of society complete and permanent. This is a problem that confronts every state, and Pennsylvania's experiment de- serves the careful attention of prison administrators in all other states. It is time for all prison boards to wake up to the fact that they have not been doing their duty to the public they serve, but on the other hand have often actually followed policies that make the situation worse instead of better. Prison boards need to make study of their business.