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Live Questions Including Our Penal Machinery and It's Victims
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1911
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June 17, 2019
It isn't often that humanitarians rise to political power. It happened with Lincoln and I would include Jimmy Carter as well. Though John Peter Altgeld did not get beyond the governorship of Illinois, his accomplishments included signing workplace safety and child labor laws, pardoning three of the men convicted in the Haymarket bombing, and rejecting calls in 1894 to break up the Pullman strike by force. The pardoning of the Haymarket convicts destroyed his political future. When he died he was working in the legal office of Clarence Darrow, who took him in when things fell apart.
This book is very important today because it shows how little has changed since 1886 for convicts who, rejected by society, receive treatment one could expect for people forgotten by those of us living in freedom. It is common for the convict to be considered deserving of whatever happens to him (or her) in prison. In the last few decades the move to herd as many as possible into prison for small quantity drug possession has resulted in the U.S. rising to the top rank in number of prisoners per capita, while at the same time providing profit for private companies that operate prisons in many states, this in keeping with a move to the right where punishment and privatization are esteemed. "Lock Her Up!" as they say.
Our penal machinery includes the police. Has police behavior changed? Consider this quote: "...It is the poor and the weak who are afraid of the officers and avoid them whenever possible. This is not as it should be. The trouble is that too many officers (there are noble exceptions) like to assert their authority when there is no necessity for doing so. They are too anxious to act the master when they should act more as friends and assistants."
Building his case from his experience as a judge and the testimony of officials who run prisons both in Illinois and other states, Altgeld shows how common practice does nothing to rehabilitate the convict and a great deal to force prisoners to return to crime upon their release. He goes into great detail about employing prisoners and giving them enough income from that employment to allow them to provide support to any dependents they might have outside. Enough needs to be paid the prisoners so they have something when they leave prison. Treating prisoners with respect as human beings is needed as is special treatment for minors.
The problem of coming up with bail is covered, decrying the practice of throwing those who cannot pay into prison to wait for long periods before they are brought before a judge. A modern twist is the for profit bail-bond business making 15% to loan the money to those too poor to come up with the amount.
This is a book of common sense, but many of the issues remain unresolved. This is surprising as other countries have penal systems that have followed the recommendations found in this book, advancing and producing the results that one would expect if the object is to take people from the world of crime and give them the opportunity to be productive. Still, in America, the desire to punish is paramount, rehabilitation beside the point and there is revulsion at the thought that any prisoner might not be suffering enough.
Last year there was a nationwide prisoners strike. The list of demands made by prisoners included the following, all addressed by Altgeld 133 years ago...
>Immediate improvements to the conditions of prisons and prison policies that recognize the humanity of imprisoned men and women.
>An immediate end to prison slavery. All persons imprisoned in any place of detention under United States jurisdiction must be paid the prevailing wage in their state or territory for their labor.
>No imprisoned human shall be denied access to rehabilitation programs at their place of detention because of their label as a violent offender.
Altgeld was a good man concerned for the welfare of all including those at the bottom. He had many good things to say, informed by his experience and as worthwhile hearing now as then. Is anyone listening?
Technical note: My book has the same cover art as shown above and the same ISBN number, but it doesn't include the prefix "Live Questions:" It is important that you get a publication that is decent quality as many reprints of old manuscripts are poor copies difficult to read, even if an Ebook edition. The paperback edition I read is well made and a welcome change from reprints of other works I have suffered through. You may also read this book online for free.
This book is very important today because it shows how little has changed since 1886 for convicts who, rejected by society, receive treatment one could expect for people forgotten by those of us living in freedom. It is common for the convict to be considered deserving of whatever happens to him (or her) in prison. In the last few decades the move to herd as many as possible into prison for small quantity drug possession has resulted in the U.S. rising to the top rank in number of prisoners per capita, while at the same time providing profit for private companies that operate prisons in many states, this in keeping with a move to the right where punishment and privatization are esteemed. "Lock Her Up!" as they say.
Our penal machinery includes the police. Has police behavior changed? Consider this quote: "...It is the poor and the weak who are afraid of the officers and avoid them whenever possible. This is not as it should be. The trouble is that too many officers (there are noble exceptions) like to assert their authority when there is no necessity for doing so. They are too anxious to act the master when they should act more as friends and assistants."
Building his case from his experience as a judge and the testimony of officials who run prisons both in Illinois and other states, Altgeld shows how common practice does nothing to rehabilitate the convict and a great deal to force prisoners to return to crime upon their release. He goes into great detail about employing prisoners and giving them enough income from that employment to allow them to provide support to any dependents they might have outside. Enough needs to be paid the prisoners so they have something when they leave prison. Treating prisoners with respect as human beings is needed as is special treatment for minors.
The problem of coming up with bail is covered, decrying the practice of throwing those who cannot pay into prison to wait for long periods before they are brought before a judge. A modern twist is the for profit bail-bond business making 15% to loan the money to those too poor to come up with the amount.
This is a book of common sense, but many of the issues remain unresolved. This is surprising as other countries have penal systems that have followed the recommendations found in this book, advancing and producing the results that one would expect if the object is to take people from the world of crime and give them the opportunity to be productive. Still, in America, the desire to punish is paramount, rehabilitation beside the point and there is revulsion at the thought that any prisoner might not be suffering enough.
Last year there was a nationwide prisoners strike. The list of demands made by prisoners included the following, all addressed by Altgeld 133 years ago...
>Immediate improvements to the conditions of prisons and prison policies that recognize the humanity of imprisoned men and women.
>An immediate end to prison slavery. All persons imprisoned in any place of detention under United States jurisdiction must be paid the prevailing wage in their state or territory for their labor.
>No imprisoned human shall be denied access to rehabilitation programs at their place of detention because of their label as a violent offender.
Altgeld was a good man concerned for the welfare of all including those at the bottom. He had many good things to say, informed by his experience and as worthwhile hearing now as then. Is anyone listening?
Technical note: My book has the same cover art as shown above and the same ISBN number, but it doesn't include the prefix "Live Questions:" It is important that you get a publication that is decent quality as many reprints of old manuscripts are poor copies difficult to read, even if an Ebook edition. The paperback edition I read is well made and a welcome change from reprints of other works I have suffered through. You may also read this book online for free.
Displaying 1 of 1 review