The object of all prison discipline should be the moral transformation of young offenders. They should be taught righteousness and purity of life, honesty and industry, self-respect and courteous behaviour to all. Whenever prison reform comes short of this, it is a failure, and society at large is injured thereby.
CHAPTER V
THE SCIENTIFIC CRIMINAL
There can be little doubt that the criminal product of the twentieth century is vastly different in its make up and harder to deal with than the criminal of any other century of the Christian era. Not perhaps from the standpoint of moral depravity, for all criminals are depraved, although some seem to be more so than others. But the criminal of to-day to be successful in his operations must be daring in his conceptions and highly scientific in his methods; otherwise he will be unable to cope with the difficulties in his way.
Criminals as a rule are not indifferent to the feelings of honest men as to their methods of getting a living. They know full well they do wrong. Yet if you cross their path while in the act of committing a felony, they will without the least hesitation take your life, and think nothing of it. All men who start out on a mission of crime make up their minds beforehand to take “no chances.” They are strenuously against every one that opposes them and they know that every honest, law-abiding citizen is against them.
But the great advance in civilization the past hundred years and the easy way fortunes seem to be accumulated, has unquestionably invented new methods of guarding the wealth, but it has also sharpened the criminal’s wit, making him more practical in his deeds of daring and ingenious in his plans and operations.
It is a well known fact that criminals of to-day do not carry around with them long “jimmies,” saws or crowbars such as were used by the old school crooks.
The twentieth century “outfit” of an experienced criminal seldom weighs more than sixteen to twenty ounces. The entire “kit” is made of the finest steel instruments and by these he is able to find his way to strong boxes, bureau drawers and closets of the best city and country residences. If he thinks he has to encounter a safe he will carry with him an electric drill by which he can punch holes in steel plates at short notice.
With these he has besides a silk rope ladder, which has an attachment that can take him to the roof of a house or get him to the street from any part of the building when he desires.
With the outfit just described a Connecticut crook was able to commit sixty burglaries in less than three months in this city. The typical twentieth century criminal is therefore a most dangerous character to deal with, and when in possession of a gun he lets nothing stand in his way.