Texas Week, Volume 1, Number 3, August 24, 1946 Page: 28
34 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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pathic treatment. "Nothing but force
impresses those guys," they believe.
Major factors underlying prison prob-
l ms in Texas, the Osborne report points
out, are "employment of too-large a
proportion of prisoners on prison farms,
housing of too-large a proportion . . . in
open dormitories . . . inadequacy of ner-
sonnel, both in numbers and quality; in-
adequacy of program activities; inability
under limitations of facilites and person-
nel . . . to carry on . . . individualized
training . . . ; the wide disparity of sen-
tences imposed by courts ... and the ex-
cessive sentences frequently imposed,
and the lack of well-regulated, consistent
r WELL JOE WERE BACK WHERE WE WERE
AFTER TH' WAR PROFITS INVESTIGATIONS
N 1920. 5OME CYCLE, EH YEAH- AN TH JOINT 15
CHANGES MADE AT ALL /and even-handed release procedures."
The report's recommendation to diver-
sify its employment program and sub-
stantially reduce the proportion of men
on the farms is hampered by the Texas
law prohibiting the sale of prison prod-
ucts on the open market.
All efforts to rid the system of the
"tank"-inspired cesspools of iniquity
have failed. The Osborne report record-
mended sale of the Eastham and Fer-
guson prisons in North Texas and using
the proceeds for building individual cells.
The bill failed in the legislature.
Appropriation Slashed
The prison board, aware that the
number of Texas prisoners has increased
by 1,000 in 1946 and that the next few
years might see a proportionate in-
crease from the present 4,080, tried un-
successfully to get funds allocated for
extending the system's present 5,000 ca-
pacity. A bill was prepared authorizing
$350,000 which would have been suf-
ficient for constructing individual cells
with penitentiary-made bricks. The bill
finally was passed after the necessary
$350,000 figure was changed to an inade-
quate $150,000.
The Osborne report, emphasizing that
"the all important thing is personnel,"
says that "the Texas Prison System,
especially oh the farms, is very seri-
ously undermanned (there are a total
of 500 guards with salaries ranging to
$109.50 a month) . . . and the quality
of many . . . is far below a satisfactory
standard . . . many of the guards are
unreliable and quit their jobs without
warning. A farm manager cannot count
on his guards reporting for work in the
morning or finishing out the week . . .
some prove to be heavy drinkers, others
are too inexperienced or incompetent ...others are brutal."
Evidence of brutality and lack of psy-
chological understanding is repeated
again in the Texas Police Association
report concerning the prison records of
certain reprievees. An example: "On
June 6, 1934, he received 20 lashes for
fighting. On April 24, 1935, he re-
ceived four hours on the barrel for
laziness and impudence to a guard . . .
On February 19, 1937, 20 lashes for
mutiny and refusing to work . . . On
February 26, 1937, 20 lashes . . . On
September 27, 1938, 20 lashes . . . On
April 3, 1940, 20 lashes for refusing
to leave building to work . . . On April 6,
1940, 20 lashes for breaking his arm."Yet the program of the 1946 Southern
States Prison * Conference stated that
the Texas Prison System "is recognized
as one of the most progressive in the
entire world."24 AUGUST 46
I
28 TEXAS WEEK
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Texas Week, Inc. Texas Week, Volume 1, Number 3, August 24, 1946, periodical, August 24, 1946; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth586553/m1/28/: accessed June 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Private Collection of the Raymond B. Holbrook Family.