William Chamberlain, warden State Prison, Jackson, Mich., spoke of discipline in his State Penitentiary, that the conditions were laid down by the State Board of Control. The law governing penitentiary officers, wardens and chaplains, is that they become acquainted with the inner life of the prisoner, and there is a desire on the part of the men to conform to the rules. There are always some incorrigibles. We have a system of graded schools, and graded prisoners. Four and a half hours a week for discipline of prisoners, the officers become acquainted with the natural abilities of the prisoner, and are able to report fully to the warden. There are two ways of governing the man, Force or Persuasion, the latter, the best of all, if it succeeds.
Life terms in Colorado average less than 9 years, longest term is 16 years. There are now 160 life terms.
Chaplain Batt thought we ought not to use the words “Criminal and Convict”; in Massachusetts it was never used, but “Prisoners and Men”; never inmates, they hated to be called inmates.
Many of the wardens claimed it impossible to hold any conference daily with employees. At Concord, Mass., Reformatory they meet at 5.30 P. M. daily. Chaplain Batt spoke of heads of prisons summoning employees for detail work, and referred to the report of Commodore Nelson summoning all his officers to his ship, to make ready for the battle; the battle was really fought in the cabin of his own flagship.
C. P. HOYT, WARDEN, BUENA, COLORADO,
Said corporal punishment if judiciously used, is really the best mode of punishment and that there should be but one grade only in the same prison. When a man does well, give him a ticket of parole.
J. WARREN BAILY, MASSACHUSETTS,
Spoke about discharged prisoners, what shall be done with them, how shall he be aided, and how long? Best way, to seek some employment or trade for him on his discharge. Aid should begin when he enters the prison gate and continue till he goes out. (Reference was made to the Penna. Prison Journal “At the Prison Gate.”) No person should be discharged a citizen, but paroled for a time, with continuous oversight. What we need is graded reformatories, with three grades, place him in the second, and he can work up to the first, or drop back to the third, and then has to work up to the first before he can be paroled. Spoke of the need of well-managed prisons and reformatories, where vast numbers had gone through the three grades and come out good citizens.
OREN C. PAINTER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND,
Read a paper about The Prisoners’ Aid Association of Baltimore.