Evening star., 1926-03-14

at Concord Junction, Mass: Elmra.
y. Y. and Mansfield, Ohio. as well
as penitentiaries and prisons in
Maryland New York and Massa-
chusetts. and the United tSates Peni-
tentiary at LeavenwOrth. Kan. II
attended the American Prison Con
gress and consulted experts in pc
nOlogy.
This commission came TO the con
clusion that the method of handling
prisoners was fundamentally wrong.
The members decided that the posi-
BILE prevention of crime is grea<
subject by itself and the possible
reformation of the criminal Is an
other. They thought system
should be evolved which would send
prisoners back into the world, on
the expiration of their sentences, bet
ter fitted TO be good citizens. They
found that harsh and unnecessary
treatment is bound TO make men
worse. mad that considerate, humane
treatment, no matter what the de-
gree of criminality, must make them
decidedly better.
THE first impression gained at the
Massachusetts workhouse, where
there were 1900 prisoners. and which
grew more fixed as the inspection
continued, was that inCarcerating
| prisoners in small cells, as at Sing
Sing feet inches by feet and
feet high-was scant space for a
bunk and not at all adequate for eX-
! ercise. Then the conviction grew
| that cells were unnecessary for the
| safe handling of prisoners, and that
| dormitories accommodating 100 TO loo
men in one-story structures, well hight
| ed and we'll ventilated, were far bet
ter. They decided the prisoners should
| be allowed TO talk with each other
! as they would if outside the prison
! walls and that they should be attend
ed only by the necessary guards.
| Light and air are absolutely essen
tial to human beings, they argued. to
| be normal, and absence of those es-
! sentials in narrow cells with foul at
| nosphere would make healthy man
| sick and possibly a permanent Invalid
| Then they decided in favor of abol
! :shing corporal punishment. out or
every 1000 they found that rarely
more than Is. and even as low as ..
would misbehave under the conditions
| they recommended. They were strong
| for industry and held as fundamental
| that each individual should have reg
| ular and balanced hours of work. rec
| reatiOn and sleep for physical, mental
and moral development.
| Their big idea was that any prison
| er. no matter what offense, should
| have his liberty taken away, but in
| everything else he should be treated
as a normal man. They figured that
| the Is recalcitrant ones in the 1000
| should he segregated into stronger
quarters. with less liberal rules. but
| that the 9S5 others should not he
retarded in their development and
denied humane or normal treatment
for the sake of properly restraining
| the few.
They conceived the idea that the
jails were improperly used; that they
| should be used for men awaiting trial
and awaiting sentence after convic-
ton and for such prisoners as were
serving a very short sentence.
They were of one mind that man
confined in idleness has laziness
grown upon him. grows morose and
| ugly At the very first prison visited
lin sachusetts) they decided that
! when man had violated the law and
was confined because he had offended
| society that was no reason why the
| Government should support him in
idleness. and that if properly organ
lied as an industrial plant. each insti-
| tuition could become self-supportlnS
instead of a drain on the taxpayers.
| There should he shops where the men
| could be taught TO use their hands
in trades of skill and engage in manu-
facture of useful articles. Such ar
ticles could be used by the District
| government in its various depart
ments. After deducting the cost of
| operation a surplus fund could he
established, out of which allowances
could be prorated to dependents of
the prisoner, with pin money TO the
| prisoner, and a small amount laid
aside to give the prisoner a start when
he walks out into the world at the
termination of his sentence.
IN December, 1908. the penal investi-
eating commission made its report
to President Roosevelt. making these
specific recommendations:
/. A Jail to be used only as a house
of detention and never as a place
where prisoners should be sent to
serve sentences.
.. A probation system for cases that
do not absolutely require lmprlson-
ment.
8. A reformatory for all who must
be imprisoned and yet are hopeful
cases.
4. A workhouse for those who are
not hopeful cases, and yet are not
such as must be sent to a penitentiary.
3. Confinement in penitentlary Tor
the worst offenders.
G. A parole law for prisoners who
NAV be safely released upon conditions
before the expiration of their terms.
Specifically regarding the reforma-
tory, they said 1t should pe locaoeu
On a tract of land of not less than 1000
acres. consisting of unreclaimed land
TO be cleared, cultivated and built upon
by the prisoners themselves. There
should be established upon this tract
shops wherein a variety of industries
may be taught and carried on, tne
product being easily consumaoie oE
the various District departments.
Hopeful subjects sent to the re1orrna-
tory would get the benefits of course
in discipline, education and industry.
The report was transmitted by Presl-
dent Roosevelt to Congress, win
strong statement in support OF the en-
tire program. IT,
Then Mr. Edison gave dinner III ms ms
home. 1924 sixteenth street. attendeh
nv his associates on the penal com
nission. members of the District ap-
preparations committees OF ootn
| House and senate, and the District
| Commissioners. The very next oay
a. bill was introduced authorizing an
appropriation of 100000 to start the
penal reform scheme in the Natlonai
CAPITAL and it was promptly passed
with no restriction on the penal COM
mission.
So it was to carry out one OF the SIX
recommendations that the LortoIl
Reformatory was established-an
absolutely new venture in penology
and one that has worked out most
| encouragingly-so much so that the