LUXURY PRISON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1941, Page 6

LUXURY PRISON

CURING CRIME BY KINDNESS. CONVICTS WANT TO REMAIN. Joel R. Moore is one of the brainiest and wealthiest' men in America. It is his considered opinion that crime can be cured by kindness, and he has gone out of his way to prove that his theory is the correct one. It was he who suggested, and helped pay for, the world’s most unusual prison.—the Southern Michigan Penitentiary. Inside the vast gaol there is a big hall suggestive of a luxury hotel. There’s a book-stand, cigarette counter, and even a “handy" stall which sells things made by the prison inmates. The cells in which the convicts do “time" have hot and cold water laid on. a radio, soft bod and I big lockers. For the convicts' entertainment there is a cinema witli a huge organ, class-rooms, and a library and sports rooms. Convicts in this prison are not too anxious to leave, as a recent incident shows. When going around the colls, a warder found that two of the convicts were not in their places. A careful search of the whole building did not reveal the prisoners, so guards in fast cars sped out into the night. As one warder was driving down a country lane his headlights picked out two figures clad in running shorts and vests, trotting ahead of the car. He sounded his police siren and the runners moved, over so that the car could pass.

When driving by, the man at the wheel glanced casually at the runners —and slammed on his brakes, for the runners were the convicts he was hunting for. Quickly he drew his revol- [ ver, covered the men —and had a further shock awaiting him. "Don’t worry," they smiled, “we’re not trying a ‘break.’ We’re training for next Saturday's boxing tourn.-micnt. They were quite serious about this and later, back in custody, the point had to bo stressed that although friendliness and comradeship are encouraged in tliis strange prison: the authorities object to convicts running out of prison to train for a tight—F.g].' in “Answers.”