Part 6

“After thirty years of fraternal conference at these Association meetings, is there anything we can agree upon as principles, to lay down and not regret the cellular system? The whole matter of child-saving was conservative, but it layed on the fact of education. Alcoholism should be banished, the army canteen, etc. France strenuously opposed it. Throughout all Europe you see the influence of John Howard and Dr. Wines. England has taken prisons entirely out of politics, and the criminal insane is treated from a medical standpoint. Most of Europe has adopted the Bertillon system, and only a very small part of the United States, as yet.

“Of labor, there is no difference in any country, and good behavior earns a shortened sentence. In the United States, twenty States have adopted this rebate of sentence, seventeen the parole system in whole or in part, six an indeterminate sentence in part. Transportation as a punishment in Russia has been given up. The United States had the honor to start this International Congress, which has been continued by other countries, and now the United States again agrees to do her part by appointment. Personal intercourse and association is the bond of brotherhood inspiration.”

ADDRESS--HON. C. V. COLLINS, SUPT. N. Y. STATE PRISONS.

“_Education as an Element of Reform Among Criminals._”

“The course of education, training and discipline in a penal institution should be one that would stimulate, develop and strengthen the criminal physically, mentally and morally--one that will show and impress upon him the folly and personal loss of defying the laws, and becoming an outcast, and that will lead him to understand, and therefore to desire the benefits that honesty, sobriety, industry and thrift will afford him; that is, to aim to create in him a desire for, and abhorrence of, the associations, the conditions and penalties of a criminal life, and instil into him a respect and desire for the associations, conditions and regards of an upright life. The ideal penal institutions should combine with elementary mental training and the functions of a sanitarium, a reformatory and an industrial school.

“In order that the State may attain more satisfactory results in its efforts to educate its criminals into good citizens and diminish the number of this class, I deem it necessary that the methods followed in the several classes of penal institutions to have close relation one to the other; this can only be brought about by adopting a general plan of administration, whereby the State shall take charge of all places for the detention of criminals, and shall control them through a central directing head, thus locating the responsibility, and by the inauguration of a comprehensive and systematical system of labor and discipline to insure a continuity of correctional and educational training that may easily be made productive in material results and in salutary influence on the prisoners.”

Mr. Collins indicated, that for first offender criminals, the State had a fixed standard of criminality and punishments, but that the State either feebly enforced it, or refused to establish it.

Our object is, or should be one that would strengthen and uplift the prisoner, to utilize all the conditions of whatever uprightness there was in him, by Christian teaching, industrial education, good dietary, baths, shops, cells, etc., in fact, physical and spiritual training. Every prison needs one or more dentist and oculist, we need many for our 4,300 convicts. Some of the convicts are credited with small earnings, received when they go out. The number of the illiterate is less than ten per cent. We need auxiliary helps to give employment.

In Sing Sing there is a bi-weekly paper, contributed, edited and printed exclusively by State’s prisoners, it has a great educational influence, called “Star of Hope.” At the Paris Exposition, it so impressed the leaders in France that they have decided to adopt it. A parole under proper restrictions is what is hoped for; idleness is the general cause of all county jails. Now if you will only rescue all classes, say for even less than a year, by proper parole, there is no telling how much progress we can make.

Don’t put the old offender and the first offender together; the third or more term men should be cellular. A general plan of administration with a central head of government in charge of all the condemned of the State (like the Bertillon Bureau) is to be desired everywhere.

ADDRESS.

PROFESSOR CHARLES R. HENDERSON, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.

“_The Sociological Side of Prison Reform._”

He made special reference to the Bertillon system of classifying types of criminals. This Government has already established schools of sociology and hygiene at several different penal institutions. As chairman of a committee appointed by the last Congress to inquire into the advisability of establishing laboratories for the scientific study of prisoners, made a report.

SCIENTIFIC CRIMINAL STUDY.

In it was recommended the experimental establishment of laboratories in selected institutions for the study of the physical, psychological, and social facts of criminal life and nature, such laboratories to be in charge of experts under the control of superintendents. What is proposed for prisons and reformatories is a laboratory conducted by a specialist for the scientific study of prison populations, with special reference at first to obvious practical needs of the administration in the discipline and training of prisoners.

The studies would be (1st) Physical: the anatomy and physiology of prisoners, measurements of sensations, and other mental manipulations, and the heredity of the prisoners; (2nd) Psychological: the mental, emotional, and voluntary life; the tastes, ideas, knowledge, motions, etc.; (3rd) Social: the domestic, industrial, neighborhood, legal, political, and religious environment and culture.

The committee was continued--directed to gather more information for next year; also urged to interest the Attorney General of the United States with the view to establish a laboratory by the National Government at the Government prison.

TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 24TH.

“_Criminal Law Reform._”

Judge Martin Dewey Follet, of Marietta, Ohio, gave a brief synopsis of the report (which was not read).

REPORT ON “PREVENTATIVE AND REFORMATORY WORK,” GEORGE TORRANCE, PONTIAC, ILL., SUPERINTENDENT STATE REFORMATORY.

It was his personal views, and not those of the committee. Nearly the whole morning was taken up in its discussion. This was the first time figures were even given based on the actual investigation of the cause of crime.

On the matter of heredity and environment, he said in part: “I have no hesitation in saying that at least 85 per cent. of all men and boys who have committed crime, if taken charge of in time and subjected to proper treatment, will become good citizens.” IF physicians and professors who believe that heredity is the direct cause of crime is true, then it cannot be done, but their theory is not correct, nor

FOUNDED ON FACTS.

It is true unquestionably, that there are hereditary criminals, but they constitute a very small per cent. of the whole number. For the purpose of putting this controversy to the test of facts, I have had an investigation made of the record and family history, so far as the commission of crime is concerned. Of 1,000 boys admitted to the Illinois State Reformatory, between Oct. 26, 1897 and Oct. 23, 1898, these figures would be substantially true of any other thousand, as they are taken consecutively; and were from the city, villages and farm.

Of this number there were 71 brothers, 3 sisters, 17 fathers and 2 mothers, who had been convicted of violation of the law, 20 for disorderly conduct only, for which they were fined. The others had workhouse, jail, reformatory, or penitentiary sentences. Forty of these were cases in which there were two in one family, thus the 40 represented 20 families. This leaves a total of 73 families represented, making a little over seven per cent. with criminal inclinations traceable to heredity.

The others admitted came from families of which all the other members were law-abiding citizens. It may be said heredity might affect the boy, and yet the remainder of the family do well. Conceding this to be so, and probably is, in some cases, it would not add more to the per cent. given, than would be subtracted by withdrawing from it the families in which two members had committed a crime where heredity was not the cause.

Considering 10 per cent. of the criminal class to be such because of heredity--(that is a liberal estimate) 90 per cent. must be accounted for in some other way. Ninety per cent. of the young convicted of crimes, would not become criminals with proper surroundings, proper companions, and proper attention.

He claimed that all severe punishment must be abolished in reformatories, else they may as well be extinct; he believed in the indeterminate sentence and

THE PAROLE LAWS.

“They are necessary to the effectual work in the reformatory. They furnish the lever, with which to maintain discipline.” In the indeterminate sentence and the parole of the reformatory, the prisoner will succeed when he finds that he can pass the examinations if he lives up to the proper requirements. The length of time for a cure is uncertain, it may be a year or two. Under the indeterminate sentence they serve longer, than under the determinate! We all know that in court when his case is heard, the sympathy of the jury is almost always with the first offender.

A good citizen is not an expense to the State, and the proverb “Once a criminal always a criminal,” is not true, for they can and are reformed. Crime is not on the increase, and the reform educational system is appreciated by the people, while the court only fixes the penalty. Idleness increases the troubles in our land, and the Gospel of our Saviour should be the study of the human race. There was a long discussion on his paper, principally about the heredity cause.

H. E. ALLISON, M. D., STATE HOSPITAL FOR CRIMINAL INSANE, MATTAWAN, N. Y., FISHKILL-ON-HUDSON,

Spoke of “Preventative Heredity of Crime.” He considered 10 per cent. a very strong factor. They had received at the Asylum 175 twelve-year-old boys from the Elmira Reformatory. But this does not agree with Mr. Torrance, but there might be a larger percentage in a little older growth.

There has been great progress in the care and treatment of the insane. Our population now (Sept, 1900,) is 765 in N. Y. State Asylum, Mattawan; and soon we will need two institutions, for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd term insane must be classified. In a short time we shall have from 1,200 to 1,500, as they are to be taken from all the institutions of the State that they may have proper treatment as well as reform. The life men in the New York prisons is 25 per cent. of the prison roll, and we need two institutions, one for the convict insane, and one for the insane, charged with crime. We have now over 300 detained after the expiration of their term.

T. J. CHARLTON, SUPT. REFORMATORY SCHOOL FOR BOYS, PLAINFIELD, INDIANA,

Spoke of the commitments on the charge of heredity, as being so few in that State, less than three per cent.

CAPTAIN C. S. TREMBY, U. S. N.,

Spoke of the discipline, etc., in the Spanish war, and especially at Santiago, of the extreme kindness in the discipline to the Spanish prisoners. The naval discipline seemed to him of a much better class and showed better work.

In the U. S. Naval Prison there is one-third time off for good behavior. This went into effect by direction of the court.

MRS. FRANCES A. MORTON, SUPT. REFORMATORY FOR WOMEN, SOUTH FARMINGTON, MASS.,

Spoke of the needs of elementary practice in education--that at Sherbourne Reformatory for Women, all the holidays’ recreations have been cut off for the want of education, viz.: 22nd of February, only eight of 200 women could tell why the day was observed, and only nine could tell why the 4th of July was kept. Since the death of Mrs. Johnson, one has not arisen to take her place so fully. Any rebellious woman is now put out of sight, not allowed to associate with the rest. Sewing-schools, housekeeping, &c., are for their moral elevation.

ADDRESS.

REV. AUGUST DRAHMS, CHAPLAIN STATE PRISON, SAN QUENTIN, CALIFORNIA.

“_Increase and Decrease of Crime in Civilized Countries._”

He showed that crime in England decreased 35 per cent. in 16 years, and now it is but two and a half per cent. of the population. Juvenile decrease in Reformatory was 22 per cent. less. Scotland 8 per cent. less. United States last 7 years raised 1-44/100 per cent. Russia 32 per cent. decrease in 10 years. Austria 2 per cent. decrease in 6 years, Hungary less. Sweden less in serious offences by 30 per cent. in 10 years, Norway less. Netherlands falling off in prison offences, but much increased in 11 years to 35 per cent. Russia was 6,000, now 2,100, Japan less. France is foremost, decreased one-third in the past period, by 46,000 or 31 per cent. in all her prisons. In 1896 there were but 15,100 prisoners. Estimate of all in prison throughout the world in 1890 is 263,500.

Hon. Frederick H. Wines, LL.D., Washington, D. C., spoke of the increase and decrease of crime in civilized countries which caused much discussion; as he is the Assistant Director of the United States Census, he expressed his great admiration of the paper read by Chaplain Drahms, and its optimistic view; but he said you make a great mistake when information is based on the increase from the United States Census, for the prison census prior to 1880 is worthless, they were not taken, and the estimates were made by those in authority in my office. The census of 1890 was made particularly by the officers, and 1900 will certainly show a marked decrease of crime.

NEXT CONGRESS MEETING PLACE.

Invitations were extended by the following cities--Philadelphia, Detroit, Chattanooga, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Niagara Falls. The Delegate Committee met after adjournment and decided on Kansas City.

ENTERTAINMENT OF THE CONGRESS.

This afternoon at two o’clock, all met at the hotel for a drive; forty open carriages, drags, tally-hos, &c., with teams varying from two to five horses, were provided by the gentlemen of the city, very elegant turnouts; and all were taken to the Garfield Monument, thence through the park to the lake front, returned about seven o’clock. On the way all were refreshed in the park with lemonade. The drive was greatly enjoyed by all, as we were taken through the finest parts of the city, and saw the bright side.

TUESDAY EVENING.

Dr. J. F. Gilmore, Warden Central Prison, Toronto, Canada, invited the Congress to a meeting to be held Thursday, Sept. 27th, at Toronto in behalf of the Charities and Correction of Canada.

W. E. Shefton, Supt. of the Ohio Reformatory, at Mansfield, invited the Congress to visit that institution before they returned home.

JOSÉ F. GODOY, FIRST SECRETARY OF THE MEXICAN EMBASSY, WASHINGTON, D. C.,

Spoke of its prisons; they were partially after our cellular plan, partly under the State government, and partly by private enterprise in the lesser misdemeanors. That the prison officials were required to keep a very minute description of every man, and that they were treated morally and physically according as the several cases required, that there was no absolute settled plan, that every man should be treated alike, as in most of the United States, but that there was a tendency in that direction.

ADDRESS, HON. EUGENE SMITH, NEW YORK CITY.

“_The Cost of Crime._”

It was very comprehensive, and the figures quoted giving the estimates and cost of crime, especially in large cities were astonishing. Mr. Smith held that municipal and county taxation was very largely due to crime; that there was hardly any taxation, federal, State, county or municipal, but what could be greatly reduced except for the existence of crime.

In order to come to some definite conclusion as to the cost, Mr. Smith quoted statistics from representative cities, New York, Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco, Richmond, Charleston, and New Orleans.

SOME STARTLING FIGURES.

New York, during the year 1899, paid from the public treasury for items wholly due to crime the sum of $12,988,804. Then he mentioned many other expenditures which were partly chargeable to crime aggregating $7,889,259, making a total of $20,778,083. In comparing these figures with the population of New York, Mr. Smith concluded that crime in the American metropolis cost the people about $6 per capita annually. In San Francisco it ran about $5 per capita, and in other cities mentioned from $3 to $3.50 per capita. The excess in New York and San Francisco, was partly explained from the fact, that the figures quoted included county taxation.

The speaker then gave comprehensive statements, from which he gathered conclusions as to the cost of crime in the rural districts, adding that a very conservative estimate would be $1.00 per capita per year. Estimating that the present population of the country was 75,000,000 and that 40 per cent. lived in cities of above 8,000 inhabitants, he placed the total cost of crime at $150,000,000 per year. To this he added $50,000,000 from federal and State taxes, making the total $200,000,000 per year.

These figures, said Mr. Smith, inaccurate as they may seem to be, prove that crime is by far the largest factor with which political economy has to deal. The only other item of expense that comes near to it is the maintainance of the public schools, which for the same year aggregate about $139,000,000. But the enormous expenditure mentioned is only for the prevention of crime.

The city of New York expends each year an enormous sum for maintaining its fire department, but that is not the only expense caused through the existence of fires. No possible statistics can be compiled to give an estimate for the cost of property stolen and the suffering caused by crime.

These facts are real, not estimated.

THE AVERAGE STEAL.

To obtain an estimate of this cost, however, the speaker said that $1,600 per year was the amount of money stolen by the average habitual criminal, and it was certainly a conservative estimate; there were at present 100,000 prisoners in confinement, of whom 40 or 50 per cent. were habitual; but this did not represent the cost of drunkenness which, he said, is generally crime in its most debased form, nor the cost of crime which was never detected. Adding up all these items of expense chargeable to crime, the speaker produced the enormous sum of $600,000,000 per year, which, he said, exceeded the value of the cotton or wheat crop. Any help for the future must come by regenerating the people by Christianity.

JOSEPH F. SCOTT, SUPERINTENDENT MASSACHUSETTS REFORMATORY, offered a resolution, the substance of which was: That this Prison Association endorse the “Indeterminate sentence law system, and recommend that the various States adopt it as part of their criminal jurisprudence.”

There was considerable discussion, and it was referred to a committee to report at the closing session.

The Committee on Place for holding the next Congress reported that they had selected Kansas City for September, 1901, and that Philadelphia had made a bold fight for it. It was voted by the Congress to accept the report of the committee, and made it unanimous.

A resolution was passed, as a matter of testimonial of past duties to Mr. Z. R. Brockway, who had resigned the charge of Elmira Reformatory, N. Y.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH, A. M.--CHAPLAINS’ MEETING.

Beside routine work, reference was made to Dr. McKim’s book. Chaplain Batt spoke of the “Exaggerated value set upon human life,” page 185. “Plans innumerable devised but all fail,” “and that literature of the Congress is not such as is desirable for the betterment of the prisoners, so that it rests mostly with the chaplains.”

J. WARREN MEADE, WARDEN AUBURN STATE PRISON, N. Y.,

Spoke of prison discipline. Best way to reach a man’s heart was through his stomach. That it was very necessary to give attention to the appointment of the officers, in order to impress the men with a care and cleanliness. The criminal should have a time to sing if he chose, and should be assisted in fitting himself for life-work in the world.

The dungeon cells are sufficient punishment for any infraction without resorting to a paddle. Said he could not imagine how Massachusetts could have a fixed commutation for life sentences, except they use the Life Ins. Co.‘s approximate longevity table, like age 34 to serve 25 years, age 40 to serve 16 years, and so on. Good discipline has the effect to remove criminal desires.

Both T. E. Ellison, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Gen. R. Brinkerhoff, of Ohio, remarked that the wardens and superintendents summoned daily the overseers, guards, etc., to discuss the wants, needs, and peculiarities of convicts, in order to be in touch of all his employees, and to the prisoners by the overseers.

MEMORIAL TRIBUTE

Was recorded on the death of Michael J. Cassidy, Phila., Pa.; Joseph Nicholson, Detroit, Mich.; Mr. Yale, California, members of the Association.

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.

AMOS W. BUTLER, IND., SEC’TY BOARD STATE CHARITIES,