| Show AN ADDRESS the tile following ia is a synopsis of an address delivered before the national prison reform congress recently held heid at baltimore maryland by waiden waldena Wa idenA A P rockwood the copy of the ad address dressl dressi was handed to us b by T mr nin eckwood yesterday and as it contains many excellent ideas and suggestions suo sug tag rl to prison discipline we wd cheerfully accord it space mr ier president and ami members of me fhe Arai national ronal ional arlson prison reform beform eoj congress 1 GENTLEMEN for about sixteen years in my attention has been officially called ailed I 1 to the manner of exe executing execution cutin the sentence of oatlie the court on convicts committed to tile utah ulah penitentiary my experience per peri perl lenee lence enee ence has lias been five years asin as inspector and arid eleven years as warden laws are supposed presupposed to be made to nt fit the circumstances under which they tiley are to be administered the laws applicable under one train of circumstances may not be under tinder another in utah we have no intermediate ter mediate prison or house of correction under the auspices of the tiie territorial statutes consequently the law endows the tile warden with large discretionary power under the tile provisions of the tile law lie is authorized thorl zed to hire litre or all the convicts oil on any public or private works provided the tile directors approve etc As we have no house of correction for juveniles or youth all till onn off offenders when convicted of hig hiigli crimes or misdemeanors are sent to 0 the 06 penitentiary under the tile provisions of the tile law I 1 exercise my iny discretion in the tiie classification of the tile convicts first one class may with propriety be called old offenders or desperadoes pera does docs and are generally ansi considered der dora dera past reclaiming theseas theseus these us well as all others I 1 govern by kindness and endeavor to create within them a hope without which the tiie bairt would faint I 1 cannot better illustrate the tile fc than to relate a circumstance that occurred several years since two of this class elass arrested for horse stealing for want of bail were committed to the county jail jall to await awalt triai trial while there they tiley told in presence and hearing Z of the keepers what they would and would not do when they tiley were committed to the tiie penitential ry soon in came in my ears cars this enabled me to prepare for the emergency in the fb repart forepart of june they were delivered to me I 1 received them and bid them make themselves comfortable and contented and they would be cared for when supper time tillie drew nigh I 1 went in and asked them if they were weib fond of bread and milk the anwer answer was that they were wore very fond of it and had not had tile tiie luxury for several years and that it would remind them of their I 1 palen talen lalen tal lai home when mother used to serve it out soon I 1 went in with tile the nil fil favorite meal and with ita it a bowl of strawberries straw berries they then laughed foynoy the next morning beefsteak vegetables bread and milk were served for breakfast the sight of which made their heal hearts ts again leap for iii lii ab Next came the assignment to labor r which they alicy had llad sworn not to do alo never nevertheless they receded frocil their former vows and ani quietly commenced IN when Ilien filen all ali illgas was suitably arranged and I 1 was about to leave I 1 cautioned the superintendent in presence sence senco and hearing not nat toworu to work these men too liard hard as they had been shut up ill in tile the count county jail jall for several weekes and were not used to tile the scorching M rays Ns orthe sun and that their liari llari hands ads were ten tender derand and not in the habit of handling rough t tools like our picks and shovels and to let them take it casy easy etc then I 1 stepped into my carria carriage band and rode ow oft in the evening the superintendent reported tut the day passed off quietly and voe soe voc progressed at the tiie close of the day these convicts inquired of the others other if it this aam was the tile way tiley ther were treated all the tile time tinie and wea weg were answered ill in the tilo affirmative and awl assured that the warden would be as kind to them as a father fattier the tile next day being sunday I 1 went in and inquired the tile welfare of each coil coli convict vieL yieh at hast list I 1 came canie to the tile two in i question and gave them a few kind words then came from them a few choking sobs followed by 1 a 11 copious ilow how of tears nind rind a confession of what they iad had said in the tile county jail promising that I 1 should have no trouble with them lind hess ii had melted their hearts and all was well if suell such mens hearts can be melted with kindness whose cannot be the second class chug are of mature age who under the baneful influence of liquor excited pa passion monor or the giving vay way to evil propensities have in all an un r added ded bitted an overt act this class are frequently reclaimable claimable rc and are sometimes hired out as is hereinafter set forth for the tiie third elas clas the third class includes the tile youths who wiio are not hardened in ennie crime nor have their hearts yet been seared scared so that they are not subjects of reform to this tills class my attention lias has been parti particularly directed and under the tile pi provisions ovi I 1 of tile law I 1 fir frequently antly hire tile them out to a parent T rother brother or friend when application is made for fora a convict of this tills class elass I 1 must be first made to believe that the convict is safe from assault by persons who aou would igl lil seek revenge tor for past of fences second thai thal eliat tile the pei pel person penson son hon proff proffering e ring to hire biro is a suitable man mail tobe to le entrusted with tiie tile the execution of the tiie sentence and third that tile tiie convict can be trusted with a atory parole of honor lionor if ir all thele these be satisfactory I 1 lay it before the tile board of directors if they approve prove the tile contract it is entered it into if not all remains in statu ft atti quo the conditions of the tile contract are ire that the tile employer shall suitably diet ciot clot clothe ilc lic guard and pay all other charges that may be incurred in the execution of the tile sen Aen sentence tenee tence and pay to the waiden warden wal wai den the amount set forth in the tile agreement A further condition is that lie shall see that the tily convict abides in the tiie rules of the institution I 1 i as is far as is applen ble A further condition conditi oil oll is thattie eliat tile convict shall be returned returned on the tile order of the warden with out assigning any reasons why or wherefore all these preliminaries and many more having been entered into the employer is appointed deputy warden varden and files bonds with security for the tiie faithful per form allce aiice of ills his duties in the execution of the sentence on the convict committed to ills liis custody under this tilis mode of procedure the tile convict is placed pl it eed under the tiie paren parental tal tai care of a father r brother or friend besides the tiie watchful care of th tile c warden who has lias the tile power to order him returned at ph pleasure asure now for the tiie practical workings of this system about four per liar cent have proved recreant to their trust IN finety six per cent to say my the tile least have haxe been in a measure reclaimed about one half of whom have settled down and are regarded as good citizens the balance have passed off to parts to me unknown suffice it to say my that eliat not one of this class has been committed to my custody for a second of having said sald this tills much oil on the subject of discipline and reform I 1 now proceed to tile the preventive measure measures sas as practiced in utah first the license law amounts nearly toa to a prohibitory lawes law especially ec in small or thinly innab inhabited ft ted settlements settlement second the territory as subdivided into about wards or precincts nearly all of which have adorgan an organized female relief belief business of which is to look after and supply th tile e needs need of the poor and the children that are not suitably cared for these societies are exclusively managed by the ladies all aid rendered is by voluntary donation the higher 0 ann aim alm of the flie society is to prevent childrens being brought up under demoralizing ing influences and direct the juveniles in tile the paths of virtue parents and guardians not willing to accept the tile proffered aid are free to take their own course so faras far as the society is concerned third by an in act passed by the legislative As assembly embly in 1853 the tile probate court of each county is authorized oil on coni complaint plaint that there are in tile the county counte minor children who are not properly broff brought lit up to isue ue an in order to a proper officer requiring him idin to bring said child or children before the court and summon the tile parents or guardians ns as tile case may be and show cause if any aily tiey they thes have why said staid child children rell reil bould should not lot be bound out to sult suit suitable tabie zabie persons under tinder the tile provisions provided by law most of tile the citizens of utah am are partial to large families consequently there thele is little or no trouble in procuring suitable claves for children in tile tiie most rf it r table families with little or no sno suo the country the sal sai salutary eouts of these preventive measures ore sire visible in tile tiie streets olour eltie eith by the absence senca senea of prostitutes walking vai val king mine ing and tinkling their ll 11 teet leet as they go designing to lead the un suspect ing youth from the tile paths of virtue As yet no female lias has been submitted to my custody nor to the custody of my predecessors in office it isian old adage that As the twig is int bent the tree treo will Inci incline ine lne respectfully submitted by P A 1 warden oatlie of the utah penitentiary 1 |
