AN INMATE’S STORY
It is a principle of evidence that the testimony of a witness with a favorable bias is to be taken at a discount, whereas the admissions of one with an unfavorable bias are of face value. Therefore, when an ex-prisoner speaks good of the prison in which he has been incarcerated, we listen with nearly full credence. Recently the Philadelphia North American published the story of a forger who had served his term in the state prison at Charlestown, Mass.
“That was a red-hot prison fifteen years ago,” says the North American. “It was infamous as a hell on earth, from the punishments, which included stringing up by the thumbs, the humiliating paddle and the water cure by means of the fire hose turned on the recalcitrant in his tiny cell, to the prisoners’ own contribution to the pandemonium in the way of riots and stabbing affrays. The discipline was as shamefully farcical as the prison officials were brutal.”
Then the conscience of New England rebelled, continues the North American. A change in wardens made General Benjamin F. Bridges head of the institution and N. D. Allen deputy warden. These men abolished all cruel and inhuman punishments, stopped regarding the prisoners as they would wolves, treated them like men of “decent honor and probity,” and established, in a word, the “friendship system.” The spirit and atmosphere of the place changed.
The story of the treatment now accorded the prisoners in this institution, as told by the time-expired forger mentioned above, is in part as follows:
“The convict learns, the minute he enters, that the whole world is not against him.
“‘I don’t care,’ Mr. Allen says to him, ‘what your past life has been. We intend to take you as you are, and we’ll treat you as a man until it is shown by your actions that our confidence is misplaced. Your treatment here will rest entirely with you. We will give you every help in our power to equip you for the struggle you will have to face at the time of your release.’
“Can you conceive the effect of such an exordium on a man whose spirit is sullen in its resentment against the society that has begun to punish him? His feeling of antagonism vanishes. He realizes that no needless humiliation awaits him. He is known by his name, not by a number. He can wear his hair and beard as he chooses. He can shave with his own razor—or he can go to the prison barber. There is no lockstep march to mess. He quits work ten or fifteen minutes before dinner and chats with his fellow-workmen as freely as if he were on his job outside.
“Apart from the regular school there is a correspondence school service, which teaches languages, mathematics, bookkeeping, stenography, custom tailoring, designing, arts and crafts and mechanical and electrical engineering. The convict can join the prison band or orchestra, or take a course in painting, if his talent inclines either way.
“There are two first-class baseball teams and Saturday afternoon in the prison yard lets everybody loose to root as joyfully for his favorite team, and as loudly, as if he’d paid his half dollar to chase the pennant at home. During the winter, vaudeville and moving-picture shows take place in the chapel, which I have known to be completely darkened, simply on the word of honor of 860 convicts that they would take no advantage of the gloom.