Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-10
Psychological COMMISSION.
Important Reports on PrisOnE
Matters Submitted.

Matters Submitted.
A meeting of the California State
Penologcal Commission, which was
called into life by Senate Concurrent
Resolution No. 5, approved February
l6, 1885, was held at the Palace Hotel
last evening. The Commission consists
of w. G. Hendricks, John Boegs.
Charles Sonntag, James II. Wilkins and
Robert L. Devlin. OF these only
Messrs. Hendricks, Sonntag and Devlin
were present. Mr.. Hendricks occupied
the chair and Mr.. Devlin acted as Sec.
retary Among those present were
Charles Montgomery, Superintendent OF
the Home for Discharged Convicts; Gen.
j. G. Sullivan and j. NJ. Hutchings of
Yosemite.
President Hendricks banded in a writ
ten report comprising 400 pages, giving
a vast amount of information in refer
ence to penal institutions, number of
convicts and cost of keeping them and
other facts. The report claims that
$400, 900, 600 of dead capital was invested
in the penitentiaries of the country and
that crime was greatly on the increase.
He claims that the percentage of GRIM
bAstib liz SdAiioiuta lS ubhGiy toi6St ehS
prisons showing an aggregate OF 22OO
convicts, with an alarming increase.
The report dealt of the subject under
three heads: The preventive stage, the
incarceration stage and the after stage.
In G ,lifornia prison reform has In the
main been devoted to the second stage.
The report cited the fact that all coun-
tries and States had adopted means OF
protecting unfortunate children, of fos-
tering and educating them, but that thus
far not much had been done in this di-
rection in California. The report finally
recommended the passage of an act for
the establishment of school similar to
the Michigan State public school, which
has been in successful operation for ten
years.
Mr.. Hendricks also made supple
mental report of his recent trip East, on
which he visited all the prisons and re-
formatory institutions in the country.
Only twenty-five pages of this l95-page
report were read. The leading ques-
ton was: "Should the State do any.
thing to help worthy discharged con-
victs into self-sustaining free life? If so,
what and how? From even moneyed
standpoint is it not economy to do so?"
The replies generally favored aid, both
financially and through authorized en-
ployment agencies. The parole system
in vogue in Ohio was generally com.
mended.
Both reports were received and
placed on file, to be utilized in making
the annual report of the Commission to
the Governor.
Upon request Mr.. Montgomery ad-
dressed the meeting on "Aid to Dis
charged Prisoners. He regarded the
reports submit ted as able and valuable.
The great difficulty to overcome is the
prejudice against ex conviets. No con-
vict can be reformed unless he is given
employment. The public must be edu
Gated to the fact that convicts can be-
reformed. The speaker said he annually
cared for 200 ex-convicts, and 50 per
cent reform. He claimed that prisoners
discharged from the penitentiaries are
not physically able to work, "being
starved out" They must first be built
up. He believed that aids of this sort
should be left in private hands, with
assistance from the State. Ii made State
institutions they would get mixed up in
politics. We must steer clear of that.
These places should be in the hands of
good Christian men. Such men can re.
form the most hardened criminals.
Kindness will do anything with them.
Certificate of good character from pris-
on officials was commended and the pa.
role system approved of. The speaker
believed that many men in San Quentin
had thoroughly reformed, and said that
if be was Governor he would pardon at
least 200, with benefit to the prisoners
and the State.
Mr.. Hendricks explained that under
the authority vested in the Governor
the Prison Commissioners were making
two experiments ON the parole system,
with satisfactory results thus far.
Horatio Seymours Fourth of July ad.
dress to the convicts at Sing Sing, n. y,
was then read, and the Commission ad-
iourned TO meet at the call of the Chair.
rs. F. Chronicle.
Hendricks, named above, is the Dem
ocratic nominee for Secretary of State.
In his duties as Commissioner of the
State prisons he shows the same faith.
full performance of duty and the same
aptitude for business he has in all other
walks of life. He is man of sterling
worth and of great ability. He will be
elected by very large majority. His
fitness for the Office is indisputable.