Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-03
Making the ''Old Bit Pay
toonttnued PROM First Page,

:
He was an insurgent who spent most
of his time in BLACK alley" or punish
ment row. for grapevining messages
and plotting breaks. Everything was
tried on Jim from psychological tests
to hard labor and solitary confinement,
without success. He avoided night
school. where he laughingly said, de
sky pilots dishin out learnin'."
Two years of Jim's time were gone
when one day a librarian asked for a
bookbinder, and Jim was sent He
found there a book on show-card let
tering. Offered to him, it would have
been spurned. but finding it himself he
was interested. 1t took several years,
but eventually Jim was in the sky
pilots classes. What he did not know
about show-card writing and adver-
tising when he left prison he learned
In the position he obtained afterwartl.
The notorious crook in an Albany in
stitution wasn't quite so difficult,
though he had spent his life Swlndling
people on two continents. His theory
that only a dumb egg shoVeS pencil
and punches a time clock had landed
him in the machine shop. Some one
suggested that he take course in shop
mechanics and mathematics. To cut
his working time, he did. Amazed, he
found himself possessed of "math"
head. He dotted on figures, became
One Student Proves His Merit.
"Good grief" he complained why
didn't some one tell me work was in
teresting?"
That was years ago. Today his lead
an honest profession.
That is the sort of thing that is hap
pening among the 100000 prisoners in
State and Federal institutions, even
without extensive educational programs.
Rehabilitation of prisoners Is hard
work, but just shutting them up Is an
economic folly. 1t is not easy whit
ting these human square pegs to fit
into round holes, but often 1t can be
done.
From until 9 in the evening our
prisoners have the time to themselves,
Perrie Jones, institutional library su-
pervisor of Minnesota, told me. When
1 urged one rather stupid old fellow in
saltwater Prison to come TO night
school or to read, he wasn't interested.
But what do you do all those hours?
I asked. oh, I smoke and look at the
wall and think about God!' Well, there
are lots of other things for them to
think about If left to themselves, and
Colorado and Columbus are some Of
the evidences"
The finest prison library in America
was at that convict's command If he
had wanted IT, The Saltwater library
has been cited by penologists the world
over for its amazing work. and was
strong example to Federal authorities
during their survey.
Safeguards Against Revolt.
"There is no doubt in my mind" says
Miss Jones, that the Saltwater Prison
library, with its 10000 volumes and its
enormous circulation of 100000 year,
has no small part in lessening the dam
ger of outbreaks. It gives inmates
something to do during unemployed
hours-tnere should be no idle hours"
At Saltwater the first thing a new
prisoner does after checking in is to go
to the library for book. His card is
filled out with the names of Is or 20
others he will want. He gets them as
fast as he can read. There are only
two things that will take away his
library rivileges-failure TO return
books to the librarian, and cutting,
marking or mutilating volume.
At his beck and call are volumes of
fiction, travel, science, biography his
tory, trade texts, industrial and fine
arts, religion and reference. He must
learn to read and write English and
finish the eighth grade in school. But
If he wishes there are volumes in Bohe-
milan, Croatian, Danish, Finnish, French,
German, Hebrew, Italian, Norwegian
Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish and
Swedish for him to enjoy.
And do these prisoners read? The
circulation tells the story. It is far
above the average for a public library
In a small town.
The preponderance of reading, as in
every ether prison. is fiction. The more
thrilling, wild and Western the better.
They want Jack London, Curwood, Zane
Grey. Harold Bell Wright, Peter B.
Kyne, Joseph Conrad and a host of
others. 1t is hard for a new writer to
break into the ranks of their favorites.
They thrill at the detective yarns of S.
S. Van Dine, Edgar Wallace and others,
but probably even more enjoyed are the
travel stories. They globe-trot through
Africa, China, South America and the
Arctic by way OF the printed page.
Many Scholars in Prison.
1t would not be complete cross-sec-
ton of humanity if there were not
scholars in prison. There are many
The reflector of the serious reading done
by men at saltwater is the Prison
Mirror, Oldest prison newspaper in ex-
istence. In that well rounded, carefully
edited paper, put out entirely by con-
victs, are book reviews and columns de-
voted to questions and answers con-
corning authors or new volumes. The
most pedantic of the reviewers is "W
j. M" He loudly pounds his pencil
that such book as Wiggam's The New
Decalogue Of Science" is being indif-
ferently received. He launches forth
with enthusiasm about Xerxes, Delphi
and Mount Olympus after reading THE
Glorious Adventure" by Richard Halli-
burton. He halls I'm Brightest Africa, ="
by Carl Akeley, for its authenticity-"a
relief after absurd Trader Horn"
After months Of preparatory reading,
prisoners write brief essays for the
newspaper on such subjects as ''Is Edu-
cation the Bunk?" rs William James
Psychology ObSolete?" THE Gist of
Salesmanship, THE Structure and
Function Of the Atom" and "A Brief
Analysis Of Einstein's Theory Of Rela-
tivity."
To the person at liberty there can be
no conception of the relief that a pris-
oner finds in expressing himself some
how-anyhow. 1t is a terrific blow to
the ego to be a number, to wear clothes
to live and look just as thousands of
others about you do. And when mem
tai and physical idleness are added
something gives way-either the mans
mind or the bars.
Minnesota long ago recognized this
need OF men, and has supplied them
with books and study courses, the State
Legislature providing amply for this
phase Of prison life. The State re-
fomatory at st. Cloud, Mimi is doing
much the same work for younger men
who are first offenders
Britain Makes Test 20 Years Ago.
Books were made available to prison.
ers in Great Britain 20 years ago, under
program of library administration
similar to that upon which the United
States is now embarking. It was de-