Travesty: I’d like to know (holding up the evidence). Don’t you see, Gordon, that these men are a couple of habitual criminals? Why, they’ve been in prison time and time again! And even that didn’t do them any good! Gordon: Of course, it didn’t! Do you suppose that to take these men and shut them away in prison--to make them walk in a degrading manner--to garb them in a humiliating fashion--to force them to the performance of tasks without compensation--or worse, to submit them to the horrors of enforced solitude and idleness of mind and body! Is there in such a system anything influencing them for _good_?--sending them out useful, honest and ambitious members of society? Travesty: Why, Gordon, these men are shameless! Nothing will reform them--not even the severest measures. They go right back to crime at the first opportunity. Gordon: Because imprisonment as a means of reformation is known to be useless! No one will trust the released convict! What chance has Red Mike got? Who would give Big Frank employment? The State releases them and tells them to go their way and sin no more, after the State has made it impossible for them to do anything else but sin! They have no chance to rehabilitate themselves. Travesty: They wouldn’t take it if it were given them. You can’t reform them. “Once a crook always a crook.” They must be taught that if they break the law they shall suffer for it, swiftly and surely. Am I not right, your Honor? Judge Dykeman: Certainly. Punishment is what they need. Gordon: Oh, no your Honor. That was the old idea of vengeance. “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, and life for life.” Surely, we have outgrown that theory long ago! Punishment for the sake of punishment--suffering as a curative agent--has always failed. Travesty: Who says so? Gordon: History proves it. Torture--death itself did not stop the pursuit of science: (To Creedon): It could not exterminate the Christian faith! Punishment never halted virtue and it will never conquer vice! (Father Creedon greatly interested.) Judge Dykeman: What would you suggest in place of punishment? Gordon (with enthusiasm): Reverse the principle of Punishment--make it Reward! (Astonishment of all.) Father Creedon (puzzled and astonished): Reward for criminals! Judge Dykeman: Ridiculous! Gordon: Not if we approach the subject in a constructive manner, abandoning methods which are obsolete and failures and direct our energies, not to destroying but to building up! Reward! All training and labor and success is built upon it. Children are trained that way. In schools, prizes and promotions are Reward. Why does the scientist and inventor work and study and succeed! Is it because of Punishment? The explorer sails and suffers--dies! The patriots fought not through the force of fear, but for the Reward of Glory! Father Creedon (softly; half aside): The martyr’s crown! Travesty: All whom you have mentioned were innocent and noble. Remember, we are discussing felons.