The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy, March 1912: New Series No. 51Pennsylvania Prison Society
History
The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy, March 1912: New Series No. 51
Pennsylvania Prison Society
Charities -- Periodicals; Prisons -- Periodicals
Members of our Acting Committee have reported visits to the prisons
in Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Monroe, Lancaster
and Westmoreland and other counties. With the passage of the proposed
amendment to our Constitution, providing for additions to the Acting
Committee, it will be possible to secure workers in other counties of
the State, who, we trust, will be of material assistance in collecting
information, and also in co-operating with us to secure measures to
ameliorate some of the evils of the present system. There are very
few county jails in the State whose construction and management may
be regarded as creditable. Some of the officials are doubtless doing
the best they can with the means at hand. But the great majority of
jails throughout the State have made little progress in the last half
century. “No prison without employment” should be our campaign cry.
It ought not to be impracticable for a number of the smaller counties
to unite in the management of a prison farm to which petty offenders
should be sent. Such a farm should be self-supporting.
It should not be forgotten that the State of Pennsylvania has at least
two institutions which for some years have illustrated the value and
efficacy of farm life for prisoners. One is the Huntingdon Reformatory,
the other is the Allegheny Work House at Hoboken.
AMERICAN PRISON CONGRESS.
Since our JOURNAL for 1911 was issued so late in that year,
it gave opportunity to include in its contents an account of the
Proceedings of the American Prison Association, which met in Omaha,
Nebraska, in October, 1911. This report was prepared by the secretary
of the Society, who was appointed Delegate to the Association.
DEBORAH C. LEEDS was also present at the sessions of this
body. In 1912, the Association will be held in Baltimore, Maryland, and
we hope a considerable number of the members of our Society will attend
its sessions.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY.
By motion of the Acting Committee passed in June, 1911, DR. WILLIAM
C. STOKES was appointed Assistant to the Secretary. His duties
have been to assist in the clerical work of the office, and especially
to endeavor to increase the amount of funds collected for the use of
the Society. Since his appointment, the office has been kept open
during the greater part of the business hours of each day, and we have
felt there was an important service in having the office accessible
at all time to members and visitors. Since June 21st, a Register for
Visitors has been kept, and the record shows that 417 visitors had
registered to December 31st from 35 States. A few foreign visitors were
received. Many of these visitors appear to appreciate information about
the work in which we are engaged, and they generally accept some of our
publications. We believe this opportunity to present some features of
our work will prove of some value.
OBITUARIES.
During the year 1911, the Acting Committee lost by death three of its
members.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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