The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-03-21
LEE DISCUSSES
CRIMINALS AND
CRIME In TALK
Urges United Effort to Edu-
cate Youth Against Wrong
dOing-Tells of Prison

Conduct Of prisoners at the state
penitentiary and suggestions for
the abatement Of crime were dis
cusscd by John Lee, warden of the
institution, at the regular meet
ing of the Lions club this noon.
1T is characteristic Of inmates
to come to me and declare that
they were innocent Of the crime
they were convicted of commit
ting" Warden Lee said, stating
that prisoners who admitted their
guilt were in the minority. Many
prisoners. he related, fahricate in
gcnious stories of how they were
"railroaded" to the penitentiary
or how someone else committed
the crime for which they are pay
ing the penalty, but cvaded prose
crtion. Mental irresponsibles often
declare that they were told t,
commit their crime, he said.
A feeling that society is against
them is also characteristic, the
warden said, and averred that
many gained the idea that robbery
or theft was permissible because
they convinced themselves that
"rich people rob others, too, only
they do it legally"
"Whcn criminals get to be so
years old or more, they begin to
regret what they have done and
think about going straight" Lee
said. dispelling the current idea
that the younger inmates of the
institution are instructed in wrong
doing by older men. He declared
that the older men instead advised
the youths to "go straight" and
realized how they had wasted their
lives.
Most Criminals Uneducated
Most Of the inmates have little
or no education, the warden said,
but pointed out that the percent
age Of illiteracy had decreased.
All those who are not educated are
required to attend night school, he
said.
Warden Lee declared that the
feeling has grown on the part of
some that it is clever to evade the
laws and beat the government"
He said that crime has increased
by degrees because of the fact that
the mental and physical interiors,
from which the criminal class is
largely recruited, multiply faster
than their interiors.
Lack Of training in home life,
failure Of high schools and col
leges to properly impress their
moral responsibility on the youth
Of today, Indifference Of the gen.
cral public toward criminals and
enforcement Of law were some Of
the things cited by Lee for the in
crease in crime.
The speaker went on to show
what benefits had accrued to So
ciety from organized effort in
business and other lines and urged
that the same effort be used to
educate youth away from crime.
Organization Needed
1--WE should organize to try to
do something for the man or wom-
an who is not mentally capable of
doing anything for himself" Lee
said, and averred that taxes could
be materially lowered if some such
scheme were worked out. He de-
clared that "what we need today is
prevention and not detention"
Archie johnson was chairman Of
the day and Henry Halvcrson led
the singing, accompanied on the
riano by /. G.. Frendberg. JOS.
Murphy won the attendance prize,
which was given by c. L. Foster.
Plans for the annual convention,
to be held at Fargo in May, were
also discussed at the meeting and
the executive committee held a
short session at it's close.