Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1910 — TAFT ADDRESSES PRISON EXPERTS [ARTICLE]

TAFT ADDRESSES PRISON EXPERTS

American Prison Association Convenes at Capital. NOTED PERSONAGES PRESENT ,*• ■ x ' • Criminologists from All Parts of the World Meet to Confer on Remedial Remedies to Prefect State Prisons. Washington, Sept 30. —The American Prison association met in convention here with criminologists from all over the world in attendance. President Taft received the delegates in the east room of the White House and made a short add rets. Mr. Taft declared that at one time his visits to government prisons bad convinced him that our prisons were very bad and that "we were stronger in theory than in practice.”

“But,” continued the president, “I hope the United States now has prisons that illustrate at least some of the improvements that you recommend The attorney general. Mr. Wickersham, has given his attention to this matter ard will be in your conference to make such suggestions as occur to him, and to receive from you the many valuable suggestions that doubtless will be presented. .

‘‘Such as association as this is an evidence of the growing civilization of the world, and especially since so many committees take an interest in the proper human developments and treatment of their criminals I am delighted to have the honor and the privilege of welcoming you here. I hope that your convention will still more widely spread information on the treatment of criminals and making them into., useful members of society and that your deliberations will not be influenced by maudlin sentiment on the one hand or by a desire for vengeance on the other It is easy to err in each direction. If we make prisons so comfortable as to furnish a motive for violating the law, they will not serve the use for which they are properly established. On the other hand they are certainly not properly framed and used, if, through association with hardened criminals the number of criminals is Increased rather than diminished ”