establishment of a state reformatory for male misdemeanants from 16 to 21 years of age, and the establishment by the state of a farm and industrial colony for habitual tramps and vagrants; also the establishment by the state and local authorities of special institutions for the care and treatment of inebriates.

IN KANSAS. The establishment of a girls' state reformatory is being mooted in Kansas. At present convicted girls must be sent either to the industrial school, or the penitentiary. For boys there is a reformatory acting as a halfway place between the industrial school and the penitentiary.

At the recent Kansas' Conference of Charities and Correction, a resolution was adopted requesting the legislature to pass a law providing for a "public defending attorney" in each county in the state. Such an officer would be charged with the duty of defending, in behalf of the state, all persons accused of crime.

THE CRIMINAL INSANE. On the ground that from 25 to 50 per cent. of the inmates of Matteawan (New York) State Hospital for the criminal insane. have never been convicted of crime, Dr. Austin Flint, in a recent paper, has contended that many of these unconvicted inmates should be sent to the courts for trial. Dr. Flint advocates also a law mak-. ing it mandatory, at the commencement of a trial, for the court to determine the mental condition of the accused rather than to appoint a commission to do so. This, he believes, would result in decreasing the number of specious pleas of insanity. Another suggestion made by Dr. Flint was that after one habeas corpus proceeding, upon which it has been determined that the relator is still insane, no other such writ shall be issued within a period of one year, unless the judge, in his discretion, see fit to issue another.

PRISON LABOR IN KENTUCKY. "Frankfort, Ky., Dec. 7.-(Special).—The highest price ever received from prison labor at the branch penitentiary at Eddyville will be paid by the Sterling Manufacturing Company, of Chicago, which will be awarded the contract for working seventy-five men. The company will pay

the state 672 cents a man per day for each convict and will furnish light, heat and water. The bid practically has been which accepted by the commission, opened bids today for the labor of seventy-five men. The only other bidder bid 65 cents a man. The Prison Commission is pleased with the high price offered for the men, this being almost as high as is being paid by any contractor of prison labor in the country. The previous contracts have been on a basis of the state furnishing light, heat and water, but with the contractor furnishing these things it makes the bid much better.' Louisville Courier, Dec. 8, 1910.

THE VERMONT WAY. The bold idea of allowing prisoners to go outside the jail alone and work without guards upon their honor is in successful operation today in Vermont.

"The policy of trusting the men," writes F. H. Tracy, sheriff of Washington county, Vermont, in the Survey, "has won their confidence, for they do not feel that we are eager to show our authority by ferreting out the least infraction of prison discipline. Our efforts to make their imprisonment a little less hard are appreciated. We learn some of the causes which led to their confinement. In many instances by inspiring confidence in discouraged men we have helped them to turn over a new leaf.

"Sometime ago Forepaugh & Sells Brothers' circus exhibited in Montpelier. There was no work that day for eleven men. We purchased circus tickets for them and allowed them to go without an escort. Some had long terms to serve and the crowd and darkness furnished an excellent opportunity for escape. Fifteen minutes after the performance was over every one was back. Trust a man in this way and he repays the faith placed in him and shows his thanks by better work and by frankness instead of sullenness toward the jail officials.

"For two years no man has been refused the chance to go outside and work. Many who were serving a sentence of a year have been trusted in this way. One man who is serving a sentence for jail breaking and who was caught in Massa-chusetts after a search of six months goes to his work daily without any re

straint save conscience."

CHANGES AT MICHIGAN PRISON. The grades into which the prisoners are divided, at the Jackson, Michigan, prison have been reduced to three. Previously there have been first, second, third and first perfect grades. But inasmuch as there is no distinction between the first and first perfect, this has been abolished.

It was also voted to abolish the custom of placing the convicts on probation without privileges for the first three months of incarceration. It was argued that this worked a hardship upon the man in that he could not have the privileges, one of which is that of smoking in his cell, at the time when he needed, them most, immediately after beginning sentence. Hereafter he will be admitted to the first grade immediately and will be entitled to privileges until he has broken some of the rules.

PENNSYLVANIA PRISONS TO MERGE? In a speech before the state board of charities of Pennsylvania Warden John Francies, of the Western Penitentiary of that state, started in November a movement for either the consolidation of the Eastern and Western Penitentiaries in the central rart of the state or the removal of both institutions to the rural districts in the sections of the state in which they are situated.

Warden Francies said the Western Penitentiary could be placed in the country section of Allegheny or some adjoining county and that a new, larger and better structure could be built by the prisoners under the direction of architects and builders. If the penitentiaries are to remain separate institutions each would require above five acres of ground and. if consolidation is to be effected it would take 10 acres for the buildings, according to Mr. Francies.

There are many reasons ascribed for the desire to remove the penitentiary into the open country. One of the chief reasons is from the standpoint of humanity-the health of the prisoners. The open country where the men may do work in the fields or in the jail yards and, while they are doing it breathe good air, has been suggested for years by stu dents of prison conditions.

A recent decision of the courts in Pennsylvania holds that it is illegal not only to use convicts upon power machinery in the prison of that state, but also to use free labor when such machinery is in the prisons of that state, inside the prison walls. This prevents Warden Francies in the Western Penitentiary from finishing by power machinery and free labor the products of the hand processes of the convicts.

GOOD NEWS FROM NEW JERSEY. Information is at hand concerning the re sults of two plans for the aid of prisoners in the New Jersey Reformatory at Rahway. The first of these is the plan known as the Bankruptcy Court. This court is designed as a relief for the inmate who has imbibed, at the outset, a wrong conception of the plans and purposes of the institution. Many young men upon entering a reformatory become reckless and commit offenses for which they later feel sincere repentance. The Bankruptcy Court, presided over by the deputy and a Protestant or Catholic chaplain, according to the choice of the inmate, hears the cases of such inmates, and if it appears that one of them has lost so much time that his promotion in the institution seems remote, and if it is clear that the young man sincerely wishes to do what is right, the Court may recommend to the superintendent that all his former record shall be erased, and that he shall be started in the institution as if he were a new inmate. This court has been found to work admirably. It puts a spirit of fairness into the institution, it gives a constant chance to a boy to redeem himself, and it allows the superintendent to exercise clemency in a regular and legal way not open to the charge of favoritism.

The second of these plans is the parole system. "After eight years' experience,' says Chas. S. Moore, chief parole officer of the reformatory, "I think the parole system is successful.

"People are always ready to criticise when a paroled man makes a second mistake. It is impossible to be successful with every case, but 60 per cent. of those from this institution are reformed. The final result in 15 per cent. of the cases is unknown, 5 per cent. relapse, and 20 per cent. have neither bettered their con

WASHINGTON, (D. C.) PRISONERS' AID SOCIETY statistics show that in the eleven years the society has been in existence about $57.000 has been disbursed. This has been used in part in paying fines of prisoners in the Police Court, depositing collateral for those in the meshes of the law for minor offenses and in sending others to their homes after the judges of the court have placed them in the care of the society's agent. All of this money was paid out with the provision that the prisoner would accept the sum in his or her particular case as a loan and that it would be returned to the agent at his or her earliest convenience. All but $4,000 of the money so expended has been returned.

A new law regarding police courts in New York City which is a wholesome provision and ought to result in great improvement in the condition of the places to which prisoners are committed requires that every magistrate shall once each year make a visit to those institutions to which he sentences those who come before the court over which he presides.

The new convict reform law of Texas provides for the abolition of the leasing of state convicts to contractors. It calls for the working of convicts only on farms owned by the state. Texas will spend about $2,000.coo for land and equipment. No contract for convicts will be renewed, and all contracts must terminate within 18 months.

PRISON REFORM IN MICHIGAN.— For some months a Michigan Commission, headed by Mr. Warner, the former Governor, has been investigating the conditions under which prisoners labor in various states. After long consideration have brought in a comprehensive report in which they recommend among other changes the following:

One-The abolition of contract labor in the prisons of the state.

Two-The establishment of industries to manufacture goods on state account, while they are opposed to the use of convicts on public roads and in breaking

stone.

Three They recommend that the board of control of each institution shall determine what industries shall be established in that institution and purchase farms for each prison sufficient to pro duce for the prison. The work on these

farms to be done under the honor system.

Four That each prisoner be paid a small allowance for his earnings.

Five-That all illiterate prisoners be made to pursue a common school course while in prison.

Sir-The employment of a state parole agent to keep in touch with the paroled

convicts.

It is interesting to note that while these changes are radical, the commission reports that they found the Michigan prisons to be the best in the country. The commission believes that the prisons could be made self-sustaining if the legislature would permit the boards. of control to operate industries upon

state account.

This conclusion is naturally the outcome of the perculiarly fortunate conditions which have prevailed at the Detroit house of correction, where according to Governor Warner's message to the legis lature last year, a half million dollars has been earned by the city of Detroit in fifteen years, in addition to $60,000 paid for repairs. During eight years of this term $48,000 was paid in wages.

In contrast to this remarkable showing is placed in that same document the cost to the state of the maintenance of its other institutions which have been operating under the contract system, at a loss to the state of $1,500,000 in thirteen

years, exclusive of appropriations for repairs, new buildings, etc.

In the light of this message of Governor Warner in 1909, his report of 1910 is but a fulfilment of a promise. It now remains for the legislature under the lead of its new Governor, Chase M. Osborne, to carry on the work as outlined by this commission. The vigor of the new Governor in removing the parole board, which was accused of political intrigue as the result of election promises, points to a new policy for the prisons. It is said that this will rid the Michigan state prisons of the politics which have hampered their development and efficiency, and which are probably more than half responsible for the contrast pointed out by Governor Warner between their operation and that of the local Detroit house of correction, which has for years been governed by a nonpartisan board.

PRISON LABOR IN PENNSYLVANIA.— Pennsylvania has always been unique in her prison methods; still probably never in her history has she given us as interesting an example of her peculiarities as in the recent decision handed down by Judge J. J. Miller in the Court of Common Pleas on December 15th. By the law of 1897 the manufacture of products in the penitentiaries by machinery was forbidden. It now appears on complaint of one Wm. F. Kempf, a Philadelphia manufacturer of mats and matting, that machinery has been introduced into the Western Penitentiary and used in the manufacture of mats. Along with the machinery has been brought a quantity of free labor to operate the same and a free factory set up within the prison walls. The prisoner has been relegated, according to the testimony, to the simple operation of preparing the material by means of hand process to the point where the great machines and their free labor tenders take it over and work out beautiful finished products.

The court has held a violation of the law, not based upon the assertion that the prisoner was unlawfully using the machinery, but upon the assertion that the laws of the state of Pennsylvania do not permit the warden of the Western Penitentiary to hire free labor to manufacture goods with machinery within the

bounds of an institution. The question raised and decided as far as the state. of Pennsylvania is concerned will attract attention of every prison man and contractor in the country. Most prisons manufacture goods by machinery and many of them, whether under the contract or public account system, have free labor employed at productive industry. of some kind or another within their walls. The decision of Judge Miller was based upon the law prohibiting the use of machinery. Still, it cannot avoid raising the question as to the right of a penal institution to employ at productive industry free labor, whether on machines or off. In most cases the free labor is employed in supervision; still in many instances the finer work in American penal institutions is done by some specially hired free labor. The decision of Judge Miller opens anew the question of the legal right of the state to own and operate industrial establishments employing free labor, whether within the walls of a prison or outside.

IN

AN INDUSTRIAL PRISON COMMISSION INDIANA.-Governor Marshall has had filed with him during the last month a report on the labor conditions in the prisons and reformatories of that state, the contents of which have not yet been made public. The report carries recommendations to the assembly.

Pending this report, the papers of Indiana are full of the reports of investigations made by unofficial bodies, representatives of labor unions, penologists and others. Bitter complaints are lodged against the Indiana Reformatory on the ground that its trade schools are such only in name and that the punishments are both inhuman and without justification. Not so conspicuous in the public eye is the gradual change that has been promised for many years, by which the public account system was to be substituted for the contract system. The prison reformers of a dozen years ago planned out a sane and safe method for the gradual development of the trade school idea in the penitentiary and have been fighting ever since that time for the development of such schools as would comply with the early agreement. Whether or not faith has been kept seems to be the bone of contention, as far as the Reformatory is concerned.