Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-10-03
EvERYboDY'S JOB
HOW GET WISE TOT
IMPRESSIONS MADE

How many know that Maine, after
years of hesitating. now has State
prison At for human beings? How
many realize that the way to keep
it fit is to see that it is kept mt; that
this responsibility cannot be dele
gated and then forgotten or neglect
ed If society's obligations are to be
fulfilled? How may wider interest
be aroused. unless the matter be agi-
tated. unless the press and other
agents of publicity call attention TO
it? Hence the excuse for this ramb'
ling -recounting of impressions re-
ceiyed from a recent visit to the
Thomaston prison. written in the
hope that ii may serve in some de-
gree to induce others TO seek impress
sions respecting methods OF main
tanning law and order. for protecting
the ninety-nine percent OF the peo-
pie from the one percent or tnere-
abouts. gone wrong.
Widespread and recurring events
suggesting a breaking down OF So
ciety's methods for restraining GRIM
inality are creating quite general APP
prehension. There is plenty OF the
odzing about penology. This ipdi-
Gates that the important matter is
! receiving some of the attention II
about methods of prevention but the
rapidly increasing crime record m
dicates ineffectiveness. either In the
/ theory or in its application.
There is a little silver in the lining
Of this ominous cloud; people are
! thinking, are bestirring themselves.
! The child smashes the toy which dls-
pleases it; as it becomes rnaturer in
thought, older in experience. 1t pa
! tiently mends. improves, that when
as a child he smashed.
One Habit or Another,
Thinking upon what we may apd
should do to prevent or restrain
criminality, should this not become
a habit, or will not crfminality be-
come the habit in place of the other:
| Should we not at least test sugges-
tons for improvement. recognize and
support those who advance sugges-
tions found good:
The penal institutions all over the
land are subjects of inquisitfon.
! These are a comparatively small. but
! an integral part Of the area to be
| cultivated. and their import lance
looms in the discovery that the filthy
stream of humanity flowing into them
flows out more filthy and immoraily
germ laden than when 1t flowed In,
| CdTTlST OIL OtSedSS dHu uCoth,
moral and physical: also that some
comparatively innocent human beings
become involved in the filth.
People differ regarding the States
right to punish the lawbreaker.. Some
contend he should only be restrained.
None can differ regarding this fact:
that inmates of many institutions of
restraint are being discharged in
worse condition than when taken In.
| There are different views respecting
what should constitute discipline in
those institutions. Fifty or less years
ago-and that a great Improvement
on what had preceded-there were
! the stripes. the lock step, heads bow
ed down, an atmosphere or subJec-
ton. The inmates resisted by stealth,
by development of skill in trickery.
treachery and dishonesty. Sense OF
manhood, of what ought to be its
! significance, was being blunted. The
| inmate If not broken went out more
dangerous individual than when he
entered, startling evidence OF the
States failure as custodian.
Discipline There Must Be
It is but few years iago we saw
unpromising material subjected to
military discipline, settingAup drills,
| SlIOuluClS SQhtAA ~ '''''i-s
outstanding appearance imposed on
the physique. whatever may have
been imposed on the mind of the
disciplined, and who will say the eff
feet was not beneficial to. that mind?
A very entertaining story has been
written about the training OF the
famous racehorse, Epinard, all the
way from the day it barely could
stand on it's awkward legs to full
muscled maturity. Infinite patience
! was here portrayed. Had it been an
ordinary or vicious colt 1t would not
have received this. but shall the same
be said of human beings. from whom
other human beings may not separate
themselves?
! Would or would not wise State.
when called upon to protect society
| by taking certain individuals into its
custody, provide the best of training
! for them; would it not submit them
| to the tests of psychiatry. or what
ever science there may be for deter
mining their capacity and the meth
DDS Of training which should be en-
| ployed? Would it not then conscien-
tiously employ those methods?
/ But who is to insist that the State
be wise?
Seeing Results
81 have had occasion to visit the
States prison many times in past
! years. remarked a distinguished Wis
| tor last Sunday ON leaving the pris-
, on" and l never left 1t without
feeling of shame until today. | am
proud of the institutions. today"
To the writer this statement SEEM
, cd in no way exaggerated, but wholly
! in keeping 1t simply described as
we'll as a few words might describe
what has taken place at,the Thomas
F.; ton prison. He had inspected it. seen
| that it is new. clean. sanitary. a place
where one may work. may enjoy
| limited amount of recreation, may
sleep amid healthful surroundings.
may find nourishing food and-this
is important-where the inmate may.
il but he and his fellow humans
each do their part. not forget that
which the normal individual likes to
believe, that he was made in the
image of his Creator.
Then, there was an indefinable
something which could not nave es-
capped the visitors sensibilities. Man.
woman or child, WHO have any con-
ception Of the word prison. could
not spend five minutes within those
walls and not receive this impress
sion. ----= .'.'..
OF what does that impression con-
sist? 1t may seem unwise to venture
an explanation Explanations might
differ in different individuals. One,
however. may conclude that none, of
all the varied impressions, was. that
one would like to come there to live
and listen every night to the clanS
of the lock of his steel barred door.
No. not though those bars were COW
AIRED .loaf nd