AMERICAN PRISONS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 95, 19 October 1931, Page 9

AMERICAN PRISONS

A VISITOR'S IMPRESSION

Some interesting comment upon' American gaols was made by Colonel L. Mullen, D.5.0., V.T>., Governor of the Hobart gaol, who is a through passenger by the Monowai.

! Interviewed by a "Post" reporter, Colonel Mullen said that when he went through "The Tombs" (New York) 900 were awaiting trial, and there was not another inch of room for anyone. The governor was protesting that: he could take no more, and as the Court; was in recess, tho cases could not be dealt with. Two or three prisoners had been awaiting trial for 17 months'.

In Sing Sing, where prisoners serving sentences of over two years are gaoled, there were ■ 2400 prisoners. The penitentiary on Welfare'lsland, contained 700 prisoners who were serving sentences,up to two years. The prisoners in Sing Sing played baseball against outside teams, and they were allowed to spend 3* dollars a week on luxuries. Friends sent in the money. The American prisons, Colonel Mullen said, were too large, and it was impossible for them to be controlled properly, containing as they did up to 2400 inmates. Sing Sing prison was particularly well managed, and thcro was little trouble there. In some of the otbelr big prisons strikes and riots sometimes occurred. ■'"' Every cell in Sing l Sing had a wireless set, and there was" also a baseball ground. At night it waß brilliantly lighted—almost like Coney Island^-and every liundiied yards there was a machine-gun, on the wall. Prisons in Canada were different. The prisoners were not allowed to go out into the exercise yard as they did, in 'Australia. Discipline was very strict, JThe prisoners were allowed half an ihour's exercise every day, but were not allowed to talk. The prisons were well kept, and the prisoners well fed. The prisons were well administered, I though the prisoners were not given as much, liberty as they received in Dominion prisons. A great deal was done for the prisoners in the way of education, and in a recent University entrance examination the three highest placed entrants were prisoners, who I each scored 100 per cent, of marks.