Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-04
Saturday Morning, March f. 1882.
A BOARD OF PARDONs.

Many thoughtful and judicious men who
 have looked into the matter believe that a Board of Pardons is needed in this State A
 bill is now before the Legislature which pro-
 vides for such board, to be comI osed of
 the governor, judge of the supreme court
 of errors, and director of the State prison. The members are to be allowed no pay, but
 are to have their travelling expenses paid.
 There is 8 provision for clerk who shall re- ceive not exceeding $20O.
 One very strong argument in favor of Board of Pardons is that it would save the Legislature great deal of what seems to be entirely unnecessary work. Year after year the same prisoners petition the Legislature for release, and as every year the Legislature is a new one the same ground has to be gone over and over again. AS an illustration of the way in which the present system works the case of Joseph P. Warren, life prisoner, is mentioned. He was convicted of murder in 1859, and after undergoing his inprison ment more or less quietly sent in petition for pardon in 1873. This he renewed in 1874-6-7-8-8O-'81 and 2. James Cuff, life prisoner, convicted in 1860 of murder, peti toned for pardon in 1S7O-1-3-4-5-7-9-9 and 80. Charles J. Allen, of New Milford, sen- fenced in 1865 for killing his brother, peti- tioned in 1872-4-5-6-7 and s. In 1878 the committee reported favorably, but their re- port was rejected. In 1879 the report was adverse in 1880 the case was continued to the next session, and in 1881 Allen was finally released. Stephen Abbott, convicted of murder in 1869, began petitioning in 1873, and has continued it annually up to this ses- sion, with an adverse report every year. The average number of petitions annually Pre- sented is thirty-ive, and they are increasing. For the twenty years from 1860 to 1880 twen- ty-nine life prisoners were internationally pardoned by the General Assembly. The average time of each man in prison was only eight and one-half years. The longest tirae was twenty-four years Gan attempt to kiID, and the shortest time three months Ca rape case). These were all life prisoners. Of all kinds, in twenty years up to 1880, the Gene ral Assembly pardoned 147: average for each year II greatest number in any year, Is, in 1868; smallest number in one year, 4. This year three petitions for release have been favorably reported upon.
 From these facts some idea may be gained of the amount of work which legislative committee must do in order to act intelligent ly upon the petitions for pardon, and, as we pointed out above, each new committee has to go over much ground which has been carefully gone over by its predecessors. If we had a Board of Pardons there would probably be less petitioning, and even if there l were not it would certainly make less work | than it does now, for such board would not l need to go over the whole case every time | prisoner petitioned. Then, too, justice | would be quite as likely to be done by such | board as by the Legislature. Probably fewer prisoners would be pardcned, but those who were might be more intelligently selected. | They ought to be, with board made up as the bill provides.