Evening star., 1933-12-10

tention that prisoners should not be
competing with private labor.
Yet, from the point Of view of social
protection, there can be no greater COM
munity danger than to subject men
from all walks of life to period OF en-
forced and degrading idleness and then
turn them loose in the deluded belief
that through some hokus-pokus called
justice they have been shriven Of their
sins and will not offend again. Besides,
II every prisoner held in idleness were
to be put to work there would be no
material change in the industrial situa-
tion. Only 10000 prisoners are en-
ployed today. Include the other three
hundred odd thousand and the employ
ment situation would not be greatly
affected.
A problem that perplexes the prison
administrator is how to divide prison
so as to preserve its role as q punitive
agency and still reform the individuals
who have been sent there. His task Is
to establish an environment which Will
not be q welcome asylum to the man
who has lived In squalor, and yet not
make it q place Of continual torture
and deprivation to the man OF inner
sensibilities. He must insist upon equal
treatment of all offenders and resolutely
object to granting privileges to the IN
f!uential or wealthy.
The public has curious mixture OF
ideas as to the purpose OF our penal
institutions. Ofncials find it dimcult To
say which makes the individual the
more indignant, to be told that prison.
ers are mistreated, locked in solitary
cells. strung up by their thumbs and
denied contacts with the outside world
or to be told that. after all, the
penitentiary is not so bad, that one
has his three meals day. moving pic
lures, base ball games, pipe and daily
newspapers. The stage burlesque OF q
modern prison apartment with the law
breaker enjoying all the Dement'S OF .
private telephone, manicure and his
personal chef may bring laugh from
the audience; but, underneath. such
paradoxes provoke almost as much re.
sentiment as do tales of brutality.
To illustrate one point Of view Of oul
prisons, let us read excerpts from Q
couple of letters from the files Of the
Department of Justice. One was writ.
ten not so long ago by United States
district Judge. He said:
"I have noticed many articles in tht
papers, magazines and reports OF com.
missions In regard to the very bad con.
dltiOn OF the united StateS pfiSOuS anC
thought It might be interesting
to learn that In my district many
people, consider the United States peni.
tentiary ct Atlanta and the Unitet
States Industrial Reformatory at Chilli
cothe, Ohio. as health resorts and q
places where the necessaries and lux
uries Of life are given them free q
charge, and where they can obtain N
| industrial education without expense
80
MANY Of them consider them q
their only chance In life to obtain n
| industrial education, and speak In deel
and lasting gratitude Of our Govern
ment for providing them with this op
portunity.
However, unfortunately. our institu
tions Of higher learning like the Atlantl
Penitentiary are not open to the genera
public, but o person desiring Q cours
of training In these institutions mus
commit Q crime against the Unitel
| States Ia order to be sent there
And again, board Of public Welfar
(Contiuued on Fourth paRs.)