The Review, Vol. 1, No. 12, December, 1911

In Short

This inaugural volume of The Review functions as a professional journal for the National Prisoners’ Aid Association, bridging the gap between social work, labor activism, and institutional administration. It records a transformative moment in American history when leaders began to pivot from the "spoils system" of politics toward data-driven, state-led reforms. By examining European workhouses, convict-labor economics, and the emerging field of mental testing, the work documents a pivotal shift in philosophy—moving away from merely warehousing the delinquent toward a pragmatic, though often cold, focus on state-managed productivity and segregation.

The Story

The narrative arc of this volume begins with the economic friction between organized labor and the prison system. John J. Sonsteby, representing the United Garment Workers, lays out the central conflict: the "pernicious" practice of contracting convict labor to private corporations. This system, he argues, creates unfair market competition that drives free workers into poverty while simultaneously turning prisons into centers of graft and exploitation. He advocates for a "state account" system, where prisoners produce goods strictly for state use, thereby removing the profit motive that invites corruption and abuse.

From this economic critique, the focus shifts to the administration of vagrancy, as O. F. Lewis, secretary of the Prison Association of New York, reports on his travels through European beggar colonies. He presents a sobering perspective: these institutions are not the grand reformatories that American dreamers imagined. Instead, they serve as long-term custodial facilities for the "feeble-minded" and the chronic vagrant. Lewis concludes that European nations have largely abandoned the hope of universal rehabilitation, opting instead to segregate those who lack the stamina or mental capacity for independent life. He emphasizes that the success of these programs relies on removing political influence from prison management—a recurring theme of the era.

The argument then turns to American soil, specifically the dramatic reforms enacted by Governor West in Oregon. The text portrays the state penitentiary as a place that had been transformed from a hellish environment of flogging and filth into a modern institution featuring schools and dining halls. This section highlights the shift toward treating the prisoner as a human being worthy of restoration. Yet, this humanitarian impulse is immediately countered by the clinical, scientific coldness of Dr. Henry H. Goddard’s work on the "wayward girl." Through the Binet mental testing of reformatory girls, the volume pivots to the eugenic logic of the time, arguing that society must identify the "feeble-minded" early to ensure they do not become parents.

The arc concludes with a collection of brief reports, news snippets, and poetry from inmates. We read of wardens debating the innocence of the executed, the implementation of sterilization bills, and a whimsical poem by a prisoner named "Auburn, No. 29118" about the simple joy of a Thanksgiving meal. The final takeaway is a fragmented but vivid portrait of a system in flux, grappling with the tension between the desire to rehabilitate the "morally sick" and the administrative impulse to categorize, test, and sequester those deemed permanently unfit for society.

How It Unfolds

The labor crisis The volume opens by positioning free labor as the primary victim of exploitative prison contracts. It argues that the state must end private profiteering to protect the dignity of the wage-earner and the health of the convict.

The European model A detailed investigation follows, analyzing how Belgium, Holland, and Germany manage their vagrancy populations. It reveals that state-run, non-political control is the most efficient way to manage institutions, even if the prospect of "reforming" the tramp is largely dismissed.

The Oregon experiment The narrative shifts to domestic policy, showcasing the rapid, successful humanization of the Oregon State Penitentiary. It argues that physical improvements, such as common dining halls and education, directly correlate to a more stable inmate population.

The scientific assessment A clinical turn occurs with the introduction of mental testing for female inmates. It posits that many "wayward" individuals suffer from inherent cognitive deficits that require lifelong, segregated care rather than traditional punishment.

News from the field The work closes with a variety of updates, including Warden surveys on the innocence of executed men and anecdotes about skilled convicts manufacturing safes. These final entries ground the previous high-level theories in the messy, often contradictory reality of daily prison life.

The People

The volume is populated by a mix of bureaucratic reformers, labor activists, and the inmates themselves. John J. Sonsteby acts as the voice of the organized worker, demanding an end to the "cruel competition" of prison-made goods. He represents the union’s desire for economic stability and their belief that state-managed labor is the only ethical path. O. F. Lewis acts as the analytical observer, traveling across Europe to bring back hard truths about the limits of reform. He is the voice of administrative realism, pushing for state control and the removal of "pernicious political influences." Governor West appears as the active reformer, a figure of progress who replaces the whip with the moving-picture show, aiming to prove that "a man’s a man for a’ that." His presence provides the humanitarian counterpoint to the more clinical, detached voices in the text. Finally, Dr. Henry H. Goddard represents the rising influence of scientific management; his cold, empirical focus on the Binet test introduces a harsh determinism that labels young women as "feeble-minded" and beyond conventional reform.

In Its Own Voice

"The two dominant ideas in prison management heretofore have been simply retribution and economy."

(Sonsteby highlights the historical failure of the prison system to prioritize the actual moral or vocational development of the inmate.)

"The history of beggar colonies in Belgium and Holland shows that those colonies began with large hopes of reformation and that in the course of years and generations it has become thoroughly manifest that the tramp and vagrant is what he is through a lack of stamina, will, physique or brain."

(Lewis warns his American audience that their belief in the transformative power of farm colonies might be based on an over-optimistic assessment of the vagrant's capacity for change.)

What It's Really About

This volume explores the fundamental tension between the desire to rehabilitate the individual and the state’s need to secure its own economic and social interests. It asks whether the prison should be a place of punishment, a factory for the state, or a laboratory for scientific classification. The underlying argument is that the "spoils system" of politics has rendered American prisons corrupt and ineffective, and that only by adopting uniform, state-managed, and scientifically rigorous policies can the country move toward a more "civilized" method of handling its "morally sick." It is a study of how humanity is systematically measured and managed in the name of social order.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of social policy, labor rights, or the origins of modern criminology will find this volume invaluable. It offers a transparent look at the intellectual landscape of 1911, showing exactly how reformers wrestled with the intersection of poverty, mental health, and incarceration.

However, the reader should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes that permeate the text. The discussion of "feeble-mindedness" and the casual advocacy for sterilization reflect the prevailing, and now deeply controversial, eugenic ideologies of that era. The prose is functional and professional, though the inclusion of inmate poetry and news updates adds a human, if occasionally jarring, texture to the clinical reports. For those looking for a clean, cohesive narrative, the fragmented nature of the journal might be a hurdle. Yet, the reward for the patient reader is a rare, unvarnished window into a time when the modern carceral state was being built, providing a clear mirror to the questions of justice and rehabilitation that we are still trying to answer today. It remains a sobering reminder of how quickly humanitarian ideals can shift into cold, scientific segregation.