Show r UT UTAH AU PRISON PLAN RESUL RESULTS I IN N ESCAPE OF ONLY TEN MEN MENT J 70 Two T wo Per Cent Loss Brings Marked larked Gain V Warden Storrs Believes Inmates Become Fewer Become Fewer r 22 Acres Gain Productivity and Lives Are fie Transformed li v f 1 B By Y James G. G li If o 7 A v Storrs of ot the When en Warden Varden Georgo Invited me ruo to In Inspect Inspect In- In n- n Utah state prison prison the thc prison Co Jo over the tho at nt first hand his records records records' and learn management and re reform re- re system Estem of ot prison I assured form torm I accepted readily the warden that after that Inspection Inspection tion I would tell the tho readers of ot The j found It was waR to toto Herald just what I I Ibe ho be an exposition ot of all the facts t with with- without I I Ito conclusions asto ns as out an any effort to draw should to wh whether the tho present system accounted a n. success or a a. ri failure bo ho extended with The invitation was of oC It I understood the intention as ns mitigating tho the blame for Cor the tho escape Henry Martin the desperate desper- desper ot of Joseph So ate nto criminal who wh walked away from Crom tho the prison last Tu Tuesday nl night ht i In this that that agreed with the warden materially mate matee was If It the welfare of society benefited by tho system as a Po whole then the escape of ot Martin although although al although al- al though deplorable was a n. loss that might easily be sustained Explains lain Sr absent urgent business lie He was on F at tho prison when I arrived but ho had hOod left word vord for meto moto mo me moS morning James I S the plant to be shown over McPherson Shockley lej life prisoner tho the advisor and confidant confidant confidant con con- T O has become of ot tho the warden 1 I spent five hours at the pr Prison Shockley Shockley Shockley Shock- Shock For four hours I listened while whilo ley expounded ded the tho details of ot the tho system tem The last sixty minutes was spent in to the front office with Warden Storrs who had returned Here I was shown letters from Crom former Cormer convicts and their employers Indicating tho present status of ot these men Among AmonS' other things I was assured that it was a a. custom of ot prisons the world over to permit even men under sentence for tor life liCe to sleep outside the tha prison walls If It their conduct warrant warrant- ed This I was told was the tho practIce practice practice tice even in tho the old days dars tho the abuses of which the present system was Intended intended in intended In- In tended to reform The question of or whether a man should sleep In a cell within the walled enclosure or should be permitted to spend his nights outside out- out side eido has always been according to the tee warden an open question decided largely at the discretion of the prison keeper Prison Provide Needed Core Care Prison Provides Needed Cure Shockley hockley discussed his own expert en ence c freely freeh He Ho had he hc said adjusted himself to tho the world There was ho believed no benefit to the state In In Inde detaining de detaining de- de him as a a. prisoner as he was waa now ready to take up some useful work and be a credit to society in dl discharging discharging dis dis- charging some part of the large ho contracted when ho shot and killed two men in a hold Another point ho emphasized was that at in 11 h hi his s. s opinion n. n ba based d on lions he ne has nas made maae no man was wan ever sent cent to prison without having need of ot the correction intended He may have havo been Innocent of the crime for which sentenced said but he had violated some provision of ot tho the universal law Otherwise Otherwise Otherwise Oth Oth- ho would never have have- come to such Euch a pass I was shown about the prison grounds and observed the neat arrangement of ot tho the cells colls each cach one ono adorned with posters posters post post- ers prints and photographs to relieve tho the barren harshness of tho walls The prisoners were wore all out at work The corridor and cell house hoose doors were open to permit unrestricted passage S' Number of Inmate I was Informed that tho the population was fast diminishing There are aro only inmates at present More than half baIt of these are aro in road rood camps The Tho remainder are distributed about the premises at work for tOr which each is Js suited I was shown the tho prison farm fann which Tinder er the present administration has been greatly Improved I was told Inthe In Inthe Inthe the last two years ears two twenty-two acres have been reclaimed Somo Some figures which I regret I did not note were quoted aa M evidence of ot excellent tion The warden when later tater I talked with him informed me that under the former former for- for mer system of ot prison management where here the convicts with few were kept In close confinement ouch Duch an improvement would havo en entailed entailed en- en tailed great Ireat exp expense to the taxpayers Warden Storrs nl also defended his attitude attitude attitude atti atti- tude toward Martin on the tho ground that It H had been Imperative for Cor prison elf efficiency ocd effi 1 clency to have havo the man outside where I he could a alt as commissary clerk check checkoff checkoff off ott tho the food supplies that entered the prison In the early earh morning He lie had however Instructed the guards to watch Martin Marlin and had not considered the th man ex exactly cUy as 9 a n. trusty Warden n Prefers Prefer to He ne Immune In the course of his remarks about this this this' incident tho the warden said saidI I would rather bo be ripped up the tho back for tor letting a man escape esc than for tor stringing him up by his wrists in accord with time old methods The warden varden admitted that no dIstinction dis dIs- was made mad between habitual and an occasional criminals or juvenile and adult offenders As a man la is committed com eom- milled to the prison the warden In Interviews Interviews In- In him with an aim gain the confidence and r respect of his charge e He attempts to pled pledge 1 the man to good good conduct In prison If It the mar man conforms to regulations It If he indicates the right spirit by a strict adherence adherenceS adherence'S to prison rules then thon S 'S shortly he hI mo may mav I look for tor parole or termination of hl his big sentence Psychologists Pj t Aid Needless I II I asked the warden I If there thore was an any consultation with men versed In to psychology psychology psych psych- condition of ot a n aman aman 01 oS as to tho the mental man before he was recommended for tor pardon or parole He Ifs assured mo me there was not The Thc prison record Is tho the solo olo consideration In determining tho the wardens warden's wardens warden's wardens warden's war war- dens den's report to the board of oC Prison conditions are such as to tomake make inako a good record easy to gain cain the warden admitted This Is tho the principal principal principal pal r reason aSOn for tho the exceptional largo large number of oC paroles and pardons granted In tho the last two years But Dut the question Is Is were th the tho men so o released actually cured of criminal tendency tendency tendency ten ten- dency Did the attention and kindness of the warden arden work ork a n miracle of ot re reformation reformation reformation re- re formation In the hearts of oC these men menOr menOr menOr Or did the they merely take tako advantage ad of ot an idealist dream to obtain an nn carl early discharge that tho they might onto more prey upon the society which had h gone to the trouble of confining them to cure euro them of oC their errors In this connection I believe belloe it willbe will willbe willbe be of ot interest to submit a n few tew ex exI excerpts ex- ex I from irom the wardens warden's report to the he board of ot corrections for tho the biennial bl- bl period end ending In December 31 31 1918 1316 Prisoners Rc Respect Rule Rules During the biennial period there have o lavo been received at th the tho 0 prison I Imen men under sentence while tho the number discharged by parole pardon expiration lon tion of oC sentence and death has been 53 the report says sas The total population population lation atlon on November 30 30 1918 1915 was There Thera havo have been excepting some Borne escapes no serious violations of ot tho the rules MIles and regulations nor has hils there been a n. single known Instance of ot any attempt to escape from Crom the tho walled waned enclosure en- en closure of ot the tho prison buildings The present policy polle relating to manaGement management management man man- of tho the prisoners Is based upon a a. belief bellet that the original intent of ot tho ho law was to Imprison on transgressors sors that hat others might be bo deterred from crime and that the tho transgressors If It possible be shown the error ot of their woo way and be transformed tr into persons who have a 3 desire to live IIvo as good citizens should anti and help carry forward forward for tor- ward tho the everyday worlds world's work Warden ard n Befriends Befriend nd Charger Having HavinS in view then the matter of keeping convicted persons safe sato and md utilizing their labor and productive powers for tor helping to defray detray the tho expenses expenses ex- ex of ot their keep and at the same time trying to Influence and strengthen them morally and ph physically physical physical- ly Iy y against the day when tho they are again to take up life liCe in the free world wo have tried to encourage and by by example and precept Influence prisoners prison prison- era ers In the tho direction of ot honesty and uprightness up up- rightness to further urther the warden wardenS and the tho deputy warden arden havo have sought to enter Into tho the lives of the prisoners as far Car as possible with a view to help helD I Ing them while here hero and to lendl lending S' S them necessary moral support and as assistance assistance assistance as- as in their work after atter the they lea leave leae e Figures on the numbers of men who have havo been at the state prison since the present administration was inaugurated inaugurated u- u rated and tho the number of escapes and recaptures which have o taken place In that time were supplied to me by Warden Warden Warden War War- den Storrs in tho tiro following letter leller In rn the matter of ot men who have escaped from our custody hero here the records show that some of ot them have havo been and are aro In the United States army and we wo know that three former Inmates here were wounded in France and that four of ot them made the su su- su premo sacrifice of ot their lives And Antl be because au of ot the fact tact that wo we do not believe It fair to to those who so participated participated participated par par- In the war Irrespective of ot their past lives to have hae their names heralded in a way indicative only of oC their worst conduct in life lite we are aro not here setting forth the list of ot names of those who escaped from the institution proper and tho the road camps Prison m Cnn Carew for tor rya We shall tell here however the number and if you as a 8 citizen or citizen or any other citizen should citizen should wish to see sec our records those records are of ot open for inspection When WhOn tho present prison a ad administration administration ad- ad ministration entered upon its duties here men were confined in the institution During the twenty-seven twenty months Just passed have been committed here and have been r r leased b expiration by of sentence parole parole pa pa- role pardon or death It will be seen seenI that within the the period Just mentioned we have cared for tor men It might hero here be said that during those twenty-seven twenty months Just passed we have had two road camps campa running all the time and a a. part of ot tho the while we wo have had three different gangs at work on tho the roads road The additional outside labor in which prisoners w we employed d was that of ot working the farms tend tending InS InS' the tho stock and chickens and engaging In tho the general Jeneral upkeep T Ten n Men lien U n Escape for Good Rood Exclusive of ot prisoners who were apprehended by prison officer In at attempts attempts at- at tempts to escape those escape those who were out of ot custody only a few houra there hours there have ha been total a of ot two twenty es cs- es- es capes O Of those who succeeded 1 in n getting away entirely twelve have been retaken And nd by these figures f It t will wm be seen that we have lost about 2 per cent There Thero is p perhaps no business endeavor en en- deavor In which anyone could expect t to sustain no loss whatsoever B Be Dc o that as It m may in our twenty eve months here hero in caring for Cor S1 5 men engaged engaged en In road and farm work and th the general Jeneral upkeep cp of oC the place pI our loss lose of or men has b been cn aa as above stated Jr Ir the neighborhood of oC 2 per cent S |