THE NATIONAL PRISON CONGRESS.

CLEVELAND, OHIO, SEPTEMBER 22-26, 1900.

The meetings were held in the hall of the Young Men’s Christian Association, except on Sunday. There were 201 delegates present. Ohio had 40, and Pennsylvania next, with 25. The official delegates present from this Society were Mrs. Deborah C. Leeds, John J. Lytle, and Rev. R. Heber Barnes.

On the platform were Governor George K. Nash, Abraham Wiedner, Chairman of the local committee; Captain Edward S. Wright, President of the Association; Rev. D. Morgan Wood, of Plymouth Congregational Church; Hon. Frederick Howard Wines, LL. D., of Washington, D.C.; Rev. John L. Milligan, of Allegheny, Pa.; M. W. Beacom, who represented Mayor Farley, and others who had achieved national reputation for reform in prison work.

Director of Public Charities Abraham Wiedner, as Chairman of the local committee, presided, and made a brief speech of welcome. Rev. Dr. Morgan Wood made the opening prayer. Director Wiedner introduced Governor Nash.

GOV. GEORGE K. NASH, ADDRESS OF WELCOME.

To me has been assigned the pleasant duty to express to you, in behalf of the people of Ohio, a hearty welcome. We appreciate the honor of having you meet with us, and also the noble work in which you are engaged.

When the Association was first organized it was presided over for a number of years by that noble man, Rutherford B. Hayes. After his death another noble man from Ohio became your presiding officer; and I am glad that General Brinkerhoff is still in our midst.

My understanding is that there are two purposes in punishing crime. The first is to protect society; the second, to bring about the reformation of the prisoners. With these ends in view the prisons should always be healthful, but the prisoners should not live in luxury. The reformation of the prisoner is most desirable, and he should be treated with that end in view. If you succeed in reforming those men and women you have accomplished a most noble work. In your efforts you need and are entitled to the sympathy of all, and I give you a most hearty welcome to the old “Buckeye State.”

The chairman introduced Corporation Counsel M. W. Beacom, who represented Mayor John H. Farley in his absence.

I wish to express the Mayor’s feeling of gratitude, that you have chosen this city for your conclave. Your purpose is not to further your own interest, but to uplift humanity. I take it that there is a tendency in the caring for criminals to run to sentimentalism. I think that all such theories should be laid aside, but the health and environment of the prisoners should be good. In behalf of the Mayor and the people of Cleveland I welcome you to this city.

HON. FREDERICK HOWARD WINES, LL.D.,

Responded in a graceful way to the addresses of welcome. He outlined the objects of work of the Association at some length. Dr. Wines is the Assistant Director of the United States Census, and, as Assistant Director, thought he ought to be the most popular man in Cleveland. He said he was very glad to come to Ohio, for it was his birthplace. What the Governor has said about the object of this organization was right so far as it goes. Not only do we mean to look after the interests of prisoners, while they are in prison, but also after they have been released, and even before they are put in prison. We want to know with reference to the prisoner what is desirable and possible to do for him. Dr. Wines spoke of the different theories held with reference to the criminal class. One view, he said was held generally by many religious people, and it was that since all people were bad, the so-called prison class was no worse than the other class except in being less fortunate. The other extreme view was, that the average prisoner had so inherited criminal tendencies, that all efforts to reform him would prove futile. The truth, he said, lay somewhere between these two extremes.

ADDRESS.

CAPTAIN EDWARD S. WRIGHT, PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION.

We all retain memories of having regard for all the men and women who have been helpers in the work we have in hand. One name will always stand highest, that of General Rutherford B. Hayes, for ten years our President, and to many of us a type of a gallant American gentleman. His life and labor in the promotion of humanity in prisons, and the reformation of the imprisoned, are crystalized in the records of the proceedings of the Association.

Following the history of prison reform work in the world, and especially in this country, he said, “Thus it has come about that a cellular system of confinement in separation in the intervals of work has come to be called the American System of imprisonment. In nearly all the prisons of this country details may vary in some points, but in the main the prisons closely resemble each other. No better form of imprisonment has yet been devised. Nearly all these changes in prison discipline of the United States have taken form in the latter part of the century.”

“The Constitution laws, of nearly all the States have been enacted since the National Prison Association took strong grounds in favor of this feature, in which reward and punishment go hand in hand. A system of classification first introduced in the Elmira Prison Reformatory has been adopted in substance by the majority of all classes and

GRADES OF PRISONS.

As the work goes on it will be found to lead step by step to the indeterminate sentence law, or a system which holds the prisoner in the control of the law, until he has given evidence of a reformed life.

EDUCATION.

An interesting change in the method of conducting prison schools deserves consideration. Illiterate prisoners of all ages, cripples, and men of clouded intellect are brought into a real school, with hours of instructions each day. Education is only given in the elementary branches, but such great progress has been made, that it would seem possible to extend its curriculum especially with the long sentenced offenders.

PRISON LABOR

remains an unsettled problem, except its future in the South, and here and there in the North, where the expense of support has been met by the earnings, show no inclination to adopt measures really leading up to its eventual abolition as a means and measure in prison discipline.

“Convicts should be constantly employed in intelligent labor or work having a beneficial object and result. We should all hope that common humanity, which underlies all hearts, must some day agree upon a system of labor for all ages and conditions, it has been considered a man’s common heritage; the most helpful to his restoration to honesty and virtue.

BERTILLON SYSTEM OF IDENTIFICATION.

“To promote efficiency to the system of measurement and photography throughout the country, Congress will be asked to enact and establish such a National Bureau. When that has been secured, many facts as to crime and criminals can be made plain to all. For the repeater, severity is mercy. On that thought much could be said, for it underlies all systems and methods of modern prison discipline. If we contrast the conditions, methods, and laws now the rule in all prisons with those of one hundred years ago, there is great reason for thankfulness and hope for the future.”

At the adjournment of the evening session a reception was held in the parlor of the Y. M. C. A., where all the visitors shook hands with Governor Nash.

The headquarters were at the Colonial Hotel, where most of the delegates stopped. The delegates were furnished with a badge, and also a package of twenty trolley-car tickets to ride on any of the lines. These were donated by the car line management.

SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 23d.

The delegates met at the Colonial Hotel and marched to the Epworth Memorial M. E. Church to listen to the annual sermon by Rev. Ward Beecher Pickard, D.D. It was a masterly production, so well filled with good thoughts, that it was constantly referred to throughout the sessions.

The theme of Dr. Pickard’s sermon was “God’s child, the criminal.” I refrain from any extracts as it is to be published for general distribution, as a leaflet, for a help to prison workers.

Sunday evening, at the Old Stone Church, Chaplain Rev. John L. Milligan, General Secretary, made the invocation prayer, Chaplain William J. Batt read the Scripture lesson, and the evening was taken up with short popular addresses on prison reform, by President Wright on the aims of work of the Association, Hon. Samuel J. Barrows on the International Penitentiary Congress, held at Brussels, Belgium, General R. Brinkerhoff of Ohio, Hon. H. H. Hart of Illinois Children’s Home and Aid Society, Professor Rev. C. R. Henderson, University of Chicago.

Monday, 9 A. M., September 24th.

WARDENS’ ASSOCIATION MEETING.

PRESIDENT’S ANNUAL ADDRESS, ALBERT GARVIN,

WARDEN CONNECTICUT STATE PRISON.

It contained a number of striking features. He strongly advocated the adoption of the indeterminate sentence plan, and that of productive labor. Among other things he said:—“The absolute indeterminate sentence for all prisoners except life convicts is, in my opinion, the only logical method of dealing with the delinquent classes. Upon criminals it should operate as a definite deterrent influence. To habitual offenders it would be a danger sign, and it would beget new risks in the commission of crime. Under it the sifting process, by which the reformable prisoners are sorted from the incorrigibles, could be intelligently applied; powerful motives for the abandonment of criminal practices would be created, and safeguards for the protection of society would be erected.”

The State might as reasonably send an insane person to an asylum for a definite time, as to convict a criminal to a prison for a specific period. If the management in the one case is competent to discharge, why not in the other?

“From every penal institution in the country convicts are being regularly discharged, who as the management only too well knows, will promptly resume the criminal program which was temporarily interrupted by a term of prison.

“Every consideration of social welfare demands that, on the one hand the criminal should be kept under restraint until he is fit to be released, and that, on the other hand once fit to be released, he should be conditionally discharged. This system should not only afford the largest measure of protection to life and property, but it would also supply the most practical method for the reformation of the offender.”

The galling fire which is kept up against productive labor in penal institutions, is born of a mistaken or partial view of the situation, and is not justified by the whole body of facts in the case. It is estimated that the value of the products of penal institutions does not exceed one tenth of one per cent of the total value of the products of the manufacturing industries of the whole United States. This fact renders it obvious that the economic and competitive effect of convict labor upon free labor is in the aggregate insignificant, and that it wholly fails to justify the persistent warfare which some people take pleasure in waging against prison industry.

It would be superfluous to state in a gathering of this kind, that regular and intelligent employment is absolutely essential to the moral and physical welfare of convicts, and the enforced idleness begets sullenness, immorality, sickness, insanity, and retards, if indeed it does not entirely prevent, the improvement of which the prisoners might otherwise be susceptible. In all intelligent efforts to reform convicted criminals, work is an indispensable factor—and only productive labor is reformative labor. Both the practical and the ethical requirements of the situation make for productive labor.

ADDRESS BY H. F. HATCH, IONA, MICH.

“A contractor’s view of prison discipline.”

JOSEPH F. SCOTT, WARDEN MASSACHUSETTS STATE REFORMATORY,

Spoke of “Civil service in Prison.”

A deplorable evil was the constant changes in prison management for political reasons, it was an evil which had to be eliminated. Mentioned several instances, where prisons were entirely under civil service rule with very satisfactory results.

Recreation and privileges as aid to prison discipline was freely and favorably discussed.

The food problem in prisons was discussed. This being a wardens’ meeting, the wardens of almost every penitentiary in the country (including our warden of the Eastern Penitentiary) told briefly what food was given to the inmates of their prison. The cost ranged from 7-1/2 cents to 10 cents for each prisoner, average was 9 cents.

It was also agreed that a prison orchestra could do much good in a prison. A music hour was also advocated, during which every prisoner should be allowed to play whatever instrument he chose in his cell.

George Scheidler, warden of Northern Indiana State Prison, said he had found that the improvement of prison food had done much to establish confidence between prisoners and officials. He said Indiana supplied food baked, roasted, stewed, etc., and that the menu is changed every day.

MONDAY AFTERNOON.

THE CHAPLAIN’S MEETING, 2 P. M.

A meeting which at times waxed warm. One of the subjects for discussion was Dr. McKim’s recent book, “Heredity and Human Progress.” The consensus of opinion among the chaplains was that the cause of crime is not psychological, as Dr. McKim tries to prove, but sociological, and it behooves the churches especially to try not only to improve the environments of the prisoners and ex-convicts, but to study more closely the cause of crime.

ADDRESS. REV. WM. J. BATT, CHAPLAIN, CONCORD, MASS.

He reviewed the past work of the Chaplains’ Association, and said: “That as they looked back he certainly felt very much had been gained from the existence of this organization,” and that much more could be done to aid the wardens and superintendents in the management of prisons and reformatories. That criminality was not on the increase, being lessened by public education, beginning in our public schools, where there has been no backward step in the matter of discipline and study of civil government.

To-day the cry is: “Use the preventative in the case of the discharged prisoner.” Yes, but what is needed is to use the preventative “education” at all times before he has cause to enter a prison gate.

The value of the parole, and possibly of the indeterminate sentence when enthroned, requires that in person you lend a helping hand to such a man to uplift him to better ways. The highest realization of our hopes in this world we shall never see, when all the gloomy enclosures of prison walls stand empty. Let there be earnest courage to walk and work by the light now shining about us, for the Light of the world is Jesus Christ.

CHAPLAIN WM. A. LOCKE, MANSFIELD, OHIO, READ A PAPER ON

“Prison Methods; Formative and Reformative.”

Crime is very largely due to poverty, or rather to what he called misdirected energy, both of mind and soul, and is a problem in sociology to direct activities from abnormal into normal channels. He dwelt much on prison discipline as of the greatest importance, and could not be too exacting, but that whatever methods might be employed, no violence should be done to the man within the man; that punishment should always be reformative. He spoke of the prisoner as a social iconoclast, who had lost his ambition, his help, and who sought to destroy what other men cherish. “It is the object of the prison to teach such a personal respect for social obligations, that nothing belongs to anyone except what he has gained by his brawn or his brains.” He touched on the evils of saloons, and said: “Through the doors of saloons to the prison doors pass one-half of the prisoners in this State.”

PRACTICAL PRISON REFORM.

CHAPLAIN D. R. IMBRIE, HOBOKEN, PA.

A paper on “A Decade of Prison Reform: The Realized and the Unrealized.” Among other things he said: “What is society? It is an individual, of which the members are individuals. It is one in interest, one in object, one in benefit, with the individual its factor. Its laws are the laws of God, and it strives to keep the letter of the law (but not always the spirit), but one thing is lacking—an all-powerful, soul-filling charity. It is the object of public philanthropy, of sociologists, of reformers in general, of this Prison Congress, to bring to the social world a realization of the eleventh commandment—to love thy neighbor as thyself.

A very able paper was read by Rev. Dr. F. A. Gold, of Mansfield, Ohio, on “The Chaplain’s Work from a Pastor’s Point of View,” which recommended co-operative work of religious and semi-religious associations as helpers.

Rev. Dr. H. H. Hart, of Chicago, criticized the paper, about delegates sent from the Y. M. C. A. and W. C. T. U.; the young clergy and Brotherhood men visiting prisons for the purpose of reforming prisoners, he claimed that very many were not real themselves, and we could not look for any success.

Rev. David J. Starr, Chaplain of Ohio State Penitentiary, in answering Mr. Hart said, that to find instances where actual injury was done by preaching, one need not go to the prisons, we see it on the outside, at revival meetings and other places. However that should not discourage any one from trying to induce men to lead better lives through the Gospel of Christ. What we need is less preaching and more hard work of sympathy.

Hon. Frederick Howard Wines, LL.D., of Washington, D. C., spoke about the recent book by Dr. McKim, “Heredity and Human Progress.” The drastic remedies of crime, are they Christian? He personally considered it not worthy of being chosen as a special topic of the Association. The fundamental weakness of Dr. McKim’s position is his preconceived notions. Let each one look that book over, you are not likely to read it all.

Chaplain J. F. Orwick, Jackson, Mich., read a paper about the observance of Prison Sunday (the fourth Sunday in October). He lamented that in so few churches it was observed, except in Chicago, where 300 sermons were preached last year.

Oren C. Painter, Treasurer of The Prisoners Aid Association, Baltimore, Md., spoke of their annual report, that last year 1,577 men and women were discharged from Baltimore Prison; and that they aided 564 discharged prisoners, furnished 4,644 meals and 1,502 night’s lodgings to men and women.

Mrs. Deborah C. Leeds made some brief remarks about reform.

Professor Charles R. Henderson, Chicago, claimed that if the people did not wake up and realize the necessity to reform themselves, how shall we expect to reform other men and women of like nature.

MONDAY, EVENING, SEPTEMBER 24TH.

ADDRESS—HON. SAMUEL J. BARROWS, MEMBER INTERNATIONAL PENITENTIARY COMMISSION, “THE INTERNATIONAL PENITENTIARY CONGRESS” BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, LAST YEAR.

The remarks were of great value to people interested in prison work and the care of prisoners. He made comparison between the management of prisons in this country, and some of the European countries, mentioning incidentally that in some of the prisons of Europe, methods were in vogue which were no longer thought of in this country.

He outlined briefly the mode of work of the Congress and gave interesting details of the reforms and improvement brought about through the influence of this commission.

The Congress at Brussels, 1899, had about 90 official delegates, representing 29 different countries; and 247 visitors from other countries who came for information.

He mentioned that the unification and expansion tendency of nationality might tend very largely to a healthy interchange of ideas, as the records of this Congress are made the property of the whole world by translation. States most progressive are those who confer in the general interests of life. He spoke of John Howard and his influence in all the world, and especially in England.

Dr. F. H. Wines was sent by the United States Government to meet and exchange ideas and experiences with other countries; he was not the first to suggest the organization of an International Congress, this was suggested by private men, several years previous.

“How to preserve the continuance of this Congress, each country promised a permanent commissioner. The United States failed to make such an appointment. Dr. Wines has the appointment from time to time only, but our government is now about to take it up again and resume its former responsibility. In this the United States will be fully able to take its part.

“At these international meetings no papers are read, all the papers are printed before the meetings, they are translated in different languages; then each country, answers the matter clearly in discussion, questions on reports, &c. Last year the United States was not officially represented on the commission, and the Delegates did not feel comfortable. All members are supposed to make themselves familiar with the papers on the programme before they come up. Sometimes there are too many questions to discuss properly. And even in our own country it is impossible to get some details, to give a proper answer; for instance, the United States Commissioners’ duties touching the Criminal Insane. It was very hard to get the facts from States, for there were so few that had any central bureau of information, it took the Government a long time to get any from a positive source.

“Penological questions were answered by monograph reports, such as relation of crimes to misdemeanor in the United States; reports to show the penalty and charges; result of the combined work was one of great value, for one cannot go to Paris or elsewhere to the meeting—to know that his contribution will be translated.

“He spoke of the United States Reformatory statistics being deficient, and of the prison management of the cellular or separate system in the United States department as very meagre, and now almost abandoned in the United States, and yet almost wholly installed in every country, and new prisons now building throughout Europe, with a system of centralization suggested by the State of New York, but while New York State prisoners share in the earning, all Europe is to the contrary.

“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,

Spoke of the State parole that out of 717 paroled, places were found for all but 3, one blind, one cripple, one insane; of this number, 12 failed to report monthly; 9 were returned to the reformatory. No man is released except for the maximum time, and the oversight is continued until the time is completed.

CONNECTICUT REQUIRES

That thirty days before the prisoner goes out, he shall be seen by the committee on discharged prisoners, furnished food and board for a time, and work; that there has not in five years, in that reformatory, been a single infringement. It turned out that out of 100, only 18 had been paroled in five years.

Report of Committee on Mr. Scott’s resolution. Specific action was deferred till next year. Only passed the sentiment or voice of the Congress “in favor of immediate sentences.”

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, CLOSING SESSION.

Professor R. G. Henderson read a paper on Psychological Laboratory in Prisons. Recommended that one be established, to try it.

Physical. Psychological. Sociological.

Anatomy, heredity, physiology, mental. Knowledge, emotion, mental tastes, ideas. Legal, political, religious, domestic, industrial environment, culture.

Dr. Wines remarked, “I am not an anti-penologist, have no opinions to enforce. In the United States census there is opportunity to examine all the matter concerning prisoners. Each prison and reformatory was furnished with a complete case, to study fully before reply, and if the wardens also help give it, a more correct record can be made, and the Government take up all the matter, furnish the apparatus and the men to do the work.”

Mrs. Deborah C. Leeds suggested a vote of recommendation of the Congress, that a “woman’s prison or reformatory” be established in every State, passed.

COMPLIMENTARY RESOLUTIONS TO

The Local Committee and the Young Men’s Christian Association for the delightful carriage ride, the newspapers, the Street Railway Company, the Old Stone Church, Rev. W. D. Pickard, D.D., for his admirable sermon, and Dr. S. B. Barrows for his paper on criminal law, were passed by a rising vote.

It was stated that in Indiana Industrial School for Girls each one was kept separate, or cellular. In Massachusetts women are sent to jail, then to a reformatory, but if convicted more than twice are sent to prison.

Rev. Dr. Pickard made some brief remarks, also Professor Henderson, and the Congress closed with singing the Doxology and Benediction, 5 P. M., Sept. 26, 1900.

Next Congress, Kansas City, 1901.

The above report was read at a meeting of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, October 18, 1900. It was directed “that it be printed in the Journal of 1901.”

Mrs. Deborah C. Leeds, John J. Lytle, Rev. R. Heber Barnes, Sec. Com.

Pennsylvania Official Delegates at Large from the Society.