Some few months ago, the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Prison Society sent to various Prisoners’ Aid Societies in the United States a series of inquiries relative to the character of the aid furnished by them to discharged prisoners.

A summary of these reports will prove interesting.

MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY FOR AIDING DISCHARGED CONVICTS.

“This Society has furnished at one time or another to discharged prisoners almost everything from clothing to artificial legs, eyes, teeth, crutches, medicines, tools, jobs, transportation, board, etc.”

Their assistance is given not so much to those who are discharged from the Penitentiary as to those who have served time in the County Jails.

“Where a man is employed in some special occupation, he needs extra clothing, such as waiter’s outfit, rubber boots for sea, overalls, etc., and where he is needy, change of underwear, socks, extra shirt, etc. We furnish these articles. Last year, about $1800 was expended by me for clothing out of a total expenditure of $9,479.10.”

MAINE PRISON ASSOCIATION.

This Association has been recently formed and so far its activities have been directed to interesting the public and securing more effective penal legislation.

There is a Prison Society at Portland, Maine, which gives help to prisoners discharged from the County Jail. The clothing is solicited and no money is paid except for expenses of lodging and transportation.

PRISONERS’ AID ASSOCIATION, RHODE ISLAND.

Their object is “to aid discharged prisoners in such ways and by such means as will enable them to gain an honest and respectable livelihood,” and also “to adopt such measures as shall seem to be conducive to the prevention of crime.” For the present their efforts are chiefly directed to the maintenance of a temporary Industrial Home for released women prisoners. In 1910 their care extended to seventy women and eight children.

PRISON ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK.

This Association furnishes prisoners when discharged from the County Prisons with clothing if they are in need. The applicant makes personal request for help at their offices. The Association does not maintain an Agent at the County Prison with purpose of determining what clothing is necessary to be supplied. The Association solicits contributions of clothing to be given to deserving ex-prisoners. They make a specialty of caring for those who have been paroled and for those who have been on probation. Their report last year shows an income of about $20,000, of which $1,000 may have been used for clothing.

THE WOMEN’S PRISON ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK CITY.

This Society has an Agent whose sole business it is to keep in close touch with all the women who have been arrested and taken to the sixty-eight station houses in the city where women are admitted.

“The Isaac T. Hopper Home, under our care, is not a prison; those admitted are expected to give a month’s service, at the end of which time they are sent to service in private families; a few remain from choice, and to some of these low wages are paid. During the month of trial, they are not expected to go out. The atmosphere of the house is cheerful; they have good beds and good food.”

CONNECTICUT PRISON ASSOCIATION.

The suit, shoes and hat are furnished by the prison authorities. This Association furnishes under-clothing and overcoats to those discharged from the State Prison. In 1909-1910, they expended for this purpose $1,051. We believe this Association gets an appropriation from the State amounting to $2500 per annum. They assist in the “Parole Work.”

PRISON LEAGUE OF AMERICA.

This organization, under the efficient control of Maud Ballington Booth, in results attained, stands at the head of all Prisoners’ Aid Societies. To all ex-prisoners who apply they give clothing, work and good cheer. In Chicago they have at this time assumed sponsorship for nearly 300 prisoners.

“The clothing part of it is only a small part of the much we do, but it is often the very necessary part.”

In various parts of the country this Society maintains farms, at which work is given to ex-prisoners, and where they are assisted in every way on the road to reform.

PRISON GATE MISSION, SALVATION ARMY, NEW YORK CITY.

“Good substantial clothing is given us from time to time that generally meets the needs of the people with whom we deal.”

They maintain industrial homes at which the opportunity is given to labor for their best welfare. They are doing wonderful work, the importance of which defies statistics. They are not directly connected with the “Parole Work.”

SOCIETY FOR THE FRIENDLESS.

This organization appears to have headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, with branch associations in various states. The Gen. Supt. is Rev. Edward A. Fredenhagen, Kansas City, Mo., to whom applications for further information may be sent. As a rule, prisoners discharged from city prisons, jails, lock-ups, etc., are not supplied with clothing, and when they apply to the Society for the Friendless their wants are supplied and an effort is made to furnish them with employment. The organization endeavors to follow them up and to keep in touch with those whom they have helped. They endeavor to co-operate with Parole Officers, but are not officially connected with the work. Societies of the same name, mostly branches of the organization at Kansas City, Mo., have made similar responses from North Dakota, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, Iowa, Washington and Minnesota.

Superintendent Parsons of the Minnesota Division says that last year in pursuance of their work they “traveled 26,714 miles, delivered 265 addresses to 42,870 people, made 176 jail visits, interviewed 1110 prisoners.... Places of employment have been found for 120, and a large number more have found employment as the result of the care given them.”

NEBRASKA PRISON ASSOCIATION.

The Legislature of this State appropriates $5,000 to supply the needs of prisoners discharged from Penitentiary, and the work of administering this charity appears to be undertaken by this Association.

PRISON REFORM ASSOCIATION OF LOUISIANA.

They furnish needy prisoners when discharged from county jails with clothing. Up to this time they are not connected with “Parole Work.”

PRISON ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA.

This organization has been organized but a few months, and has not undertaken to distribute clothing to needy prisoners. They are endeavoring to promote “Parole Work” and agree to employ any prisoner who is entitled to “Parole.”

PRISONERS’ AID ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND.

When prisoners come to them from the jails and appear to be in need, they supply them with clothing. They are connected with the work of paroling prisoners, and endeavor to follow them up by a system of visitation.

THE CENTRAL HOWARD ASSOCIATION; CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

“In reply to your first question, would say that in all of the eight states in which this Association operates, the State itself furnishes a suit of clothes, including an overcoat in winter, to all released prisoners except in Kentucky, when men are paroled they do not receive clothing. In addition a discharge fee of from $5 to $10 is given them to make a new start. In one state, Minnesota, this discharge money amounts to $25. Your second question is, therefore, answered by stating that this Association is not called upon to furnish clothing and does not spend any funds for that purpose. In the case of all those who come to us from the Cook County Jail and the Chicago House of Correction, and do not receive clothing or discharge money, we sometimes fit them out with better clothing, but this is usually cast off clothing given to us by friends.” * * * * “In answer to question five, would state that we are directly connected with the ‘Parole Work’ in this and adjacent states. In the case of those who are entitled to parole in Illinois and are without friends or employers to sign their first papers, these papers are signed by me in many cases, and I keep the men under supervision during the period of their parole and they report through me to the officials. In the cases of adjoining states, except where the law permits them to be paroled outside of the state line, we secure employers who are residents of that state to sign the parole papers and serve as ‘first friend’ to the prisoner. This Association also furnishes a representative in connection with the Adult Probation Law to work with the paid Probation Officers in the courts in carrying out the provisions of said law.”

COLORADO PRISON ASSOCIATION.

They formerly furnished prisoners when discharged from the Penitentiary with clothing, but after securing the passage of a law, whereby the State provides such clothing, they no longer assume such expense. In the “Parole Work” they endeavor to co-operate with the Wardens. Their Field Secretary visits the jails throughout the State.

HOME OF INDUSTRY, PHILADELPHIA.

“Grand object—the founding and providing of a Retreat and Home for Discharged Prisoners of the City of Philadelphia, and the State of Pennsylvania, giving employment and compensation for labor performed, and by moral and religious influences and surroundings to awaken in them an incentive to true manliness and good citizenship....”

Last year 79 men were received in the Home who were supplied with board and lodging, and for services received some wages. They were assisted in securing situations for permanent employment. The State recognizes their good efforts by making an appropriation of $2500.00 per annum for maintenance.

DOOR OF BLESSING, PHILADELPHIA.

This Institution has been in existence about 11 years, and in that time has taken charge of 357 women and 30 children. These women and children come to them from either the State of City prisons.

Many of them are forwarded to their homes, and situations for others are obtained in the country. Recently, through the Agent of The Pennsylvania Prison Society, they receive many children who have been arrested for vagrancy and petty offences, direct from the Magistrates, and they receive kindly attention until they are restored to their friends or have been placed in homes.

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR VISITING CATHOLIC PRISONERS.

The 16th Annual Report of the American Society for visiting Catholic Prisons, just issued, shows that there were committed to the Eastern Penitentiary of Pennsylvania in the year 1911, as follows:

and that there were remaining in the Penitentiary at the close of the year (December 31st, 1911)

The report states that “a committee of the society regularly visits these unfortunates and seeks to convert the criminals into good citizens,” and that during the past year 6256 visits were made.

Rev. M. A. Noel, S. J., is Catholic Chaplain of the Penitentiary, and Mr. P. H. Spellissy is the President of the Society.