Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-10-04


proyisionso What is the purpose?
j What have you done before to rem
edy the conditions Of which have
complained?
You have taken boys from II to q
years of age. (the average OF all
tprisons is about 23) you have strip
ped them of their names and they
became numbers: you have paralyz-
ed their tongues and they became
!mutes; yod have taken away their
Initiative and they became jelly fsh;
you have taken away their honor
and they became things
And when you have reduced them
to the lowest depths. you have sent
them back into society an hundred
times worse than they went in: you
have fitted them for a life Of crime;
you have graduated them from your
school of iniquity and they have gone
back into the world to do the very
thing which you had fitted them to
do. .a..
| Your school has performed its
task and 1890 of the men in prisons
Of the world have been there before.
| / doubt, Mr.. Chairman. if the COL
leges of the country can produce a
better record!
Is it not time. Sir. that we had a
change?
You forbade conversation. but they
developed system of communication
in spite of you; they talked by the
system we'll known in prisondom. and
thus learned to defeat authority.
Is it not much better that they
talk in the open and In consonance
with authority
Is it not much better that they
put their cards on the table,-to use
a familiar expression,-?
We think so. and so we have I'M
tied their tongues. We have said to
them, be loyal, be faithful, be court .
eous. be gentlemen; if you have any,
thing to say. say 1t politely, but say
1t above board and without fear. We
believe in you and we trust you.
This is the new rule. Does it not
sound reasonable? Has it not a hu-
man accent? go.
The first time I went into the din
ing room l felt as though l were in
a tomb,-the men eating in absolute
silence. with guards all around the
room TO see that nobody broke this
rule of silence.
That has gone. and in its pla ce
you hear buzz of conversation: YOU
see faces wreathcd with smiles. Just
as you see in this banquet hall this
evening.
Does this sound radical?
was asked by the representative
vi metropolitan paper if we were
70 propose any radical changes
Yes | replied, 'Tor it is radical ia
inject fear of God and love of man.
and a modicum of common sense in
to prison management.
Goa has too long been shut outside
prison walls and we are going to let
Him In. That's radical"
Formerly the church service was
hciu up IN the roof of the old adj
minlstration building. Surely mems
; ooules must then have been nearer
: TO God than their souls could Dos.
slbly be in their attic surroundings,
Now we have beautiful chapel
on the first floor of the administra-
ton building. No more guards
there; no stiff elbows: no restric.
lions, other than those expected and
exercised in all churches in the land
Men sit there. now. in fear of God
aht. not in fear OF guards.
- L spend every Sunday with the
boys. Recently l went over early
enough to attend the morning serv-
ice. | was swept off my feet by the
splendid spirit in which they SANG
: those beautiful hymps, and l said
to myself. then. that there are few
congregations in this State which
could show such spirit and zeal and
. enthusiasm,-and they greeted my
; what l hoped were helpful remarks
with such ringing cheers that fel,
[ almost like a hypocrite.
Now we come TO the third pro-
INSTRUMENTATION. We say If we
take young men there and compel
! them to work for nothing, as they
have worked. they learn to hats
: work: they regard it as a species OF
degradation; they rebel against il
. (wouldnIt youD: and when they &c
, back into the world they are re-
. solved to be idlers.-and idleness,
t you know. is the mother of vice.
And so, as an experiment. which is
, being successfully tried in many
, other prisons we have put them on
, a wagc-earning basis; starting them
at Dc per day and advancing them
, as they are faithful and efficient
enough to warrant it, to 4Oc and up
, to SOC per day. One-half of this
goes to their families, 80 or 40 or
30 cents per week to the men. them
selves. for use as they may see fit.
and the balance is held in a fund to
. be paid them when their term is
completed.
We are thus protecting their fam
lilies from want. or the State pro-
viding for them through other
!, means. We are teaching the fami-
lies to expect help through the natu-
raj charmed and we are preserving
the self-respect of the men them :
selves.
We are fitting them for that soci-
ETY., TO which they must return and
of which they rightly desire to be-
come an honorable part. And we
are providing that no man shall 60
out a pauper. with an Injunction to
steal or starvc within a week, while
society lifts up its skirt and passes
on the other side.
Tell me.-what chance in Gods
world has that man?
. I thoroughly believe this state.
ment OF their desire is true as TO
90 per cent. IL not of all. and say
, this after ultimate association with
, them.
. The design OF this Commission Is
not. primarily. to make or to save
money. but TO make men and save
souls. 1t is undertaking to enforce
the spirit Of the Golden Rule
One other rule,-we have provided
, that no punishment OF any kind
shall be adjudged or ordered by any
body other than the Warden, nor
-. without a hearing. at which the man
, complained against shall be given
full opportunity to present defense.
That, too. is a radical change.
And in order to assist in making
these and all other rules a success.
we have established an Honor and
Welfare League II
i We have permitted the men 10
4 elect five of their number as Gov.