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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 24, 1911)
unday Bee, PART FIVE MAGAZINE PAGES ONE TO IIGHI PART FIVE MAGAZINE PAGES ONE TO EIGHT The Omaha VOL. XLI NO. 14. OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 24, 1911. SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS. National Prison Reform Association Brings Big Men tjfei .. ? : II L 11 ERAHK i.EaL "SoSEIH. P.BZERS ' EEiS5TEToEOT' Vl I XV ;i.-' 5oPT.M.wfS0T 5TTt RcfORrtATow jew,stc.AMeAio pmow aWm chaplain Pe.-wAi.iAvAtiA,vA$w.. 1 Vt'" ;''" ! y! JlV.HjJa JLHCHVftR3g. ' ' ' HHimnii win i A bbm 1 - . f ft fcTJDOES wbo Bntenc prisoners, war dens who keep them, physicians who care for their physical health and clergymen who minister to their spiritual needs, with sociologists who study their condition and philan thropists who aid society's enemies and vic timsall these will be in Omaha quite numerously for the sessions of the American Prison association, October 14 to 19. This is one if the greatest factors in the modern movement for the betterment of the human family,, and the very lively interest felt in its work and ob jects by thousands of the leading men and women of the United States assures the opportunity for Omaha and Nebraska people to see and bear a great ' group of students and workers whose names are famous as experts in their particular fields. The objects of the American Prison association . can be set out under the four principal heads: One The improvement of the laws in relation to public offenses and offenders, and the modes of procedure by which such laws are enforced. Two The study of the causes of crime, the na ture of offenders and their social surroundings, the best methods of dealing with offenders and of pre venting crime. Three The improvement of the penal, correc tional and reformatory institutions throughout the country, and of the government, management and discipline thereof. Including the appointment of boards of trustees and of other officers. Four The care of, and providing suitable and remunerative employment for discharged prisoners, and especially such as may have given evidence of reformation. It will be realized that a pretty broad program of positive humanitarian effort is embodied In these four planks; but through determined and enlight ened effort, and nation-wide co-operation 'much haa already bee a done to ameliorate unnecessarily hard conditions within the prisons of the country and to make self-respecting and self-supporting thousands wbo have felt the weight of punitive laws. , Not only s does the Prison association take a lively Interest In those sentenced to expiate crimes, while they are incarcerted and after they are re leased, but it also devotes a good deal of solid atten tion to corresponding evils and injustices In the laws of the nation and the states. It aims to have the lnmatea of Jails, reformatories and penitenti aries treated decently after conviction, but the un derlying aim that engages the most serious atten tion la to create conditlona that will bring fewer in mates to the prisons, and after they are again set adrift in the community to get hold of them and provide opportunity for regeneration in citizenship. The extent of the success achieved in these two lines of effort will be told in detail by persons actually In touch with the work all over the country. Dr. F. Emory Lyon, superintendent of the Cen tral Howard association. Chicago, who la to be on the platform In Omaha, says of the effort at preven tion of crime: "At last the emphasis has been shifted from the cure of crime to Its prevention. Soon we shall be able to say, 'to cure Is the voice of the past, but to prevent la the divine whisper of today.' While SJT. Central. Howard Ass'n, Chicago, 111. the assertion is often made that crime is Increasing, there are no statistics to support the assertion. On the contrary, there are no evidences of a consider able decrease of crime in proportion to the increase of population. Every penal institution in Illinois has about 25 per cent fewer Inmates than they con tained five years ago. It is known that organized gangs of criminals can no longer be found in Chi cago, to ply their trade systematically, as they did ten or twelve years ago. These facts should give new courage to all believers in good citizenship and human progress. Still other problems In this direction are pressing for solution, such as the abolition of a pernicious Jail system, the injustices of the fee system, the deprivation and suffering of innocent families of offenders, the Influence of poll tics in the administration of penal institutions, etc." Associations like the Central Howard organiza tion are, according to Dr. Emory and other experts, "standing midway between the church and thei state, grappling successfully and at first hand with these problems." These students of the question of prisons In the relation to the general Interests of the community have in mind the eventual trans formation of all prisons and reformatories into schools and workshops. They advocate the pay ment of prisoners for their work, and the adoption of an adult probation law in every state. Pending the realization of these objects the aiding of re leased prisoners is engaging more and more of their attention every year. Of this feature Dr. Emory says: "This practical work of making good citizens out of bad ones has bad most gratifying results. A friendly hand is extended to all comers regardless age, creed, nationality or previous condition. The Howard association alone assists about 1,000 men each year, with the result that some 80 per cent have become good citizens Employment is secured for them, they are given working tools and working clothes when necessary and are provided with a place to live until they receive their first pay. They are put into touch with new environment, new friends and a new life. In short, all the ties of social and spiritual contact, which have been sev ered, and which mean so much to all of us, are re united." The Omaha Young Men's Christian association, and similar organizations, are now taking a dally interest in this phase of saving work, with good re sults, and they report an encouraging response from those who are thus helped to again become useful citizens. Supt. rV,Y.x.HOO. or Industry JmOS W; SUTLER StC'r Iwoawa Board State C mart its PAndLt 0"icrStat or Michigan It may be stated the Howard associations take their name from the originator of . this phase of reformatory work, John Howard, who was the sheriff of Bedford, England, in 1773. Of Howard it was said, "He trod a glorious but unfrequented path to immortality." So, the sessions of the American Prison asso ciation will present the story of the New Human ity in action. This accentuation of the spirit of man's faith invhis fellows b&a been made possible only by the wide co-operation of state and prison officials, together with the supporters of the work and the large number of friends who believe that kindness will win where severity must fail. "In this direction,"" says Dr. Emory, "lies the demon stration and realization of buman brotherhood." In connection with the parent association ses sions meetings are to be held and discussions car ried on by the National Wardens' association, the National Chaplains' association, the Prison Physicians' association and the Association of Gov erning Boards. Following the plan of organization by commit tees, the American Prison association has groups of strong men (with here and there a woman) who devote attention to criminal law reform, preven tion and probation, reformatory work and parole, prison discipline, discharged prisoners, statistics of crime, co-operation on uniform state laws, to In vestigate jails, lockups and police stations. Wherever possible or advisable members of these committees will devote personal attention to in spection and investigation while in Omaha. The character of men actively Interested can be judged from the makeup of the executive committee, which comprises, b'esldes the principal officers, Albert Garvin of Wethersfield, Conn., former war den of the Minnesota and other state prisons; Henry Wolfer, president warden of the Minnesota penitentiary; James A. Leonard, Mansfield, O.; Dr. J. T. Gllmour. Toronto, Ont.; W. J. Dlehl, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Eli H. Brown, Jr., Frankfort, Ky., and C. A. Purdunn, Marshall, 111. The present officers of the association are: President. T. B. Patton, Huntington, Pa.; vice presidents, James A. Leonard, Mansfield, O.; Gov ernor A. W. Gilchrist, Tallahassee, Fla.; Lieuten ant Colonel A. G. Irvine, Stony Mountain, Man chester, and Robert V. LaDow, Washington, D. C; general secretary, Joseph P. Byers, Newark, N. J.; treasurer, Frederick A. Mills, New York. Dr. A. W. Clark of Omaha is an assistant secretary. Preceding the assembling of the national dele gates the Association of Societies for the Aid of Discharged Prisoners will convene In Omaha Thursday, October 12. On the evening of that day the first session will be held, and the meeting of this particular branch will extend over October 13. Saturday evening, October 14, will vitness the opening of the congress proper at the Auditorium; Judge Lee Estelle will preside and addresses are scheduled by Governor Aid rich and Mayor Dahl man, preceding the annual address of President Patton, who is general superintendent of the Penn sylvania State reformatory. Prof. Charles R. Hen derson of Chicago adversity will discuss the reso lutions adopted at the International Prison con gress in their application to the United States. Prof. Henderson was president of the congress of 1910 and is international prison commissioner of the United States. After the Auditorium meeting an Informal re ception is to be held at Hotel Rome, which will be headquarters for the convention officers and dele gates. Sunday, October 16, many of the noted men attending the convention will occupy Omaha pul pits and discuss the various phases of the associa tion's work. In the afternoon at 3 o'clock a mas meeting Is to be held in the Auditorium, with Prof. Henderson, Judge Charles A. De Courcy of Boston and others as speakers. Maud Ballington Booth will also probably be on the program tor this meeting. She is to be here, bu.t the program of her activity Is not yet settled. Attorney General Wickersham, who will rep resent President Taft at the convention, is down for an address Tuesday evening and It is expected the Auditorium will be crowded to hear him. Be fore the address of Mr. Wickersham Judge De Courcy of the superior court of Massachusetts will make a report for the standing committee on reform of the criminal law, and following the ad dress of the attorney general of the. United States a discussion 1b slated. Wednesday morning Governor Gilchrist will read a paper on the Jails of his state, Florida; there will be a report from the special committee on jails, lockups and police stations and the advisa bility of providing farm work for misdemeanants will be discussed. The meetings of the wardens' section is set for Monday morning, October 16, and the chaplains will also meet that morning. To the wardens Henry K. W. Scott of the New Hampshire state prison will make a report on prison discipline, and other subjects dealing with the management ot prisons will have an airing. Tuesday, October 17. the prison physicians meet to hear papers and discuss matters peculiar to their work. Tuesday afternoon Dr. William Healy of Chicago will discuss the "Psychology of the Criminal" and Dr. William M. Richards of New York will talk on "Physical Defects as a Fac tor in the Making of Criminals." Both addresses will be followed by discussions. Frank L. Randall of the Minnesota reforma tory is to make the report of the standing commit tee on reformatory work and parole Wednesday afternoon. At the same time Mrs. Imogene B. Oakley, chairman of the civil service committee of the National Federation of Women's Clubs. Is to make an address. "Statistics of Crime" is the special subject for Wednesday evening, with Eu gene Smith, president of the prison association of New York, as leader. Thursday, the last day of the convention, will be a busy one, with a very Interesting and Impor tant program, aa follows: Report of standing committee on "Discharged Prisoners," by the chairman. Commissioner Eva Booth of the Salvation Army. Report covers: (a) The man In prison who wants to reform; (b) Caring for bis family during the period of his rehabilitation; (c) Meeting him at the prison gates; (d) Personal study of the man (Continued on Page Two.)