The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-11-26
A Day i'm the Big House
As Told to Our Special Correspondent by Special Warden John J.. Doe

EDIToRS-This is one of a series of ar
ticies on the Montana state prison at Deer
state employe commissioned with the duty
of keeping the inmates in confinement, train
ing them for prison life and safeguarding
their health and we'll being; also with the
responsibility Of returning them to society
better fitted to become useful members there
Of, than when they were incarcerated.-John
W. Nelson, director of publicity.
No man can spend a day in
prison without it affecting him
deeply and permanently-that is,
providing he has sufficient men,
tality to receive impressions. A lot
Of these fellows don't belong here
at all. They should be over at
Warm Springs. Those sub-nOrmal
mental cases are greatest
trouble. They do things without
reason and without objective. And
they are the tools hat the "Smart
aleckS' use in ~fOmenting riots,
fights and trouble.
They sent a man in here last year.
First thing he did after being locked
out of his pillow. pile clothes and
stuff on it, and touch a match to it.
That man doesn't belong here.
Some of these men may be terrors
on the outside. See hat stoop-shoulder
inmate there? He has been here, in
and out, for nearly 20 years and he has
never broken a rule as yet. He is a
Well. his record outside is bad-very
bad. He is unsafe to roam at large in
society.
See that chap over there, the young
iSh, light compleXioned man? There
was an aged retired police officer liv-
ing alone in his home in a town not
far from here. This thug broke into it
one night. dubbed and beat him in
a terrific fight and then shot at him.
fighting fool, he would be dead now.
That fellow looks innocent enough,
doesn't he? But you can't tell by their
looks.
Work Toward Reform
These prison impressions are meant
10 reform a man: to reclaim him for
, useful position in society. Frequently
they do: occasionally. they do not.
This problem is as old as society itself.
It has never been completely answered.
We can only do u best. We do our
best.
After you've been here a few years,
you sense things that are going on.
You n trouble coming in a certain
group. and you break it before it breaks
cut. You scatter the men, keep them
apart. If a man breaks a rule, you
can discipline him by taking his priv
ilegeS away. If an overt act is COM
mitted there are more severe means
cf punishment
What privileges? Why, they are per-
mitted to attend a talking motion pic
ture once a week. Also to attend a
religious service. Then the privilege of
working, of being a trustee, of having
magazines. newspapers, visitors. special
foods. You can cancel these privileges
for a week or a month. There are
other ways, too.
Cold, Harsh Mother
No prisoner will have trouble in here
# he obeys the rules. The rules are
simple and rigid. Guards have to follow
a routine that is Just as rigid as the
prisoners follow. Guards cannot frat
ernize with the inmates. They cannot
prisoners to talk to each other. We had
a guard here a while back who sought
to smuggle in stuff to a prisoner. He
isn't here any more. The guard PAGES
his station or sits in his watch tower
every minute of his shift. He is watch
ing constantly. He watches every move
the men make while they are on eXer-
else. He accompanies them when they
empty garbage; he takes them to speak
to the captain or. the warden. He
mothers them, but he is a cold, harsh,
calculating mother-and a wise one,
too.
Prisoners think they can fool a guard.
Well, maybe did fool him once,
but he is not fooled twice. He gets to
know all the tricks, he feels the under
tone of discomfort, if there is one. He
is brutal, only when necessary. He is
Just, always. He has to be. His job,
perhaps his life depends upon him be-