PRISON DISCIPLINE.
The report of the standing committee on Prison Discipline was presented by Warden Scott of the New Hampshire Prison, and was heard with great interest.
“Rules and regulations degrading in their character have long since been found to be more a menace to our system of prison discipline than otherwise. We have seen the downcast eye, the striped suit, short hair cut, lockstep, the dark cell and various forms of methods of corporal punishment replaced by more humane, more sensible regulations, and venture the assertion that in no prison in the country where this has been done will one fail to find the standard of discipline improved.
“When a man has been sentenced by the court to prison at hard labor, and during his confinement is of good behavior, he has the right to expect that no further punishment will be inflicted upon him than that prescribed by the court.
“The knowledge that special privileges are not granted to any prisoner that cannot be earned by every other is an effective aid to discipline. So, also, is cleanliness of person, clothing, bedding and cell essential to good conduct. Plenty of well-cooked and well-balanced food should be provided, a well-stocked library, a school for the illiterate, a new voice in chaplain occasionally at divine service, lectures on interesting subjects by prominent men, entertainments on holidays, all these are good for the prisoner and good for the prison.”
The plan of grading prisoners, in operation in many prisons, has undoubtedly brought about a more perfect system of discipline and should be adopted in all prisons and reformatories, large and small. It stimulates pride in most prisoners.
Productive labor in prisons not only greatly aids discipline and reformation, conserves the health of the prisoner and fits him to be self-supporting when discharged, but secures to the state relief from the cost of maintenance of the prisoners.
The warden or superintendent should be clothed with authority to appoint or remove the subordinate officers without hindrance or dictation.
Warden James of Oregon told of the results obtained through generous treatment of prisoners. “I find that the more privileges we can extend consistent with good discipline, the easier it is to obtain good discipline. Since we inaugurated amusements such as moving-pictures, Saturday baseball and other forms of exercise, reports of infractions of rules have been reduced fifty per cent.” Warden Lewis of Michigan said that he allowed outside teams to play against the prison team. He thought the morale of the institution was improved by such innovation. Warden Sanders, of Iowa, thought that men would universally improve if we show that we have confidence in them. Some time ago his friends were very solicitous for his safety when he took a gang of eight convicts out to cut corn. Each convict was supplied with a keen bladed corn-knife and the cornfield was some miles from the prison. He went with them without arms and though his friends feared they would never see him alive, he accompanied them with no thought of danger. Some of them were serving life sentences, but they all returned in the evening, not having shown the slightest indication of escaping or offering violence.