The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-09-26
The Ohio Parole Law.

| OlONSut UCIOIc IIlC ucAt ScSSlOu VI TIE ley
slature will be the one OF convict labor
and when it has this under consider
alton it must not neglect other and i'm
pOrtant issues arising from the same
board of pardOns. and also careful study
OF the results of the parole system now in
vogue in Ohio and shown in the following
from the Pennsylvania Grit:
| The law passed May 4. 1885. and provides
that the board OF managers of the Ohio Peniten-
| tary may allow any prisoner whose conduct in
| the judgment just ties the trust, to go upon pa
role outside the prison, VIII lie remain ng legally in
custody. All prisoners sentenced for life, all rre
viOusly convicted of crime all returned for viola
ton OF parole. and all who have not maintained
themselves in the first grade for at least four
months, are deprived of the benefits of the act
OF course, prisoners Of the United States out
side the operat Oh of this state law.
The regulations are very strict. The paroled pris
oner must have reliable employer, approved by
the board, and one to whom his history is known;
he must have the written permit Of the board and
exhibit it to any officer who may call for it; he
must abstain from intOx .cants, remain within the
state report once month his exact condition to
the board, avoid improper associations, give sat
istacton to his employer. seek other employment
only by consent of the board. and generally con-
form strictly to many regulations. in default of
which any officer of the state may return him to
penitentlary for enquiry. If it be proved that he
has violated his parole he must serve out his org
inal sentence. forte ting whatever t m he may
have gained by good behavior extra work. This
board of managers consists Of five persons. and
| their powers very extensive: they are in fact
the court of last appeal for all paroed prisoners
At least four of the five managers must agree to
grant parole. The percentage of prisoners de-
prved of the benefits of the law is of small
The most important of the conditions are a per-
feet PRISON record prisoner of the first grade
for period of four months or more. as shown by
| the conduct book and written guarantee of
steady employment to be furnished by a reliable
citizen within the boundaries of the state The
parole law, then, is one that demands from the
prisoner positive proof that he is fit subject for
its benefits, and from his friends that
| he shall be provided with such employment as
will enable him to begin anew a career of probity
and usefulness.
Each prisoner on reaching the period of elgibil
:ty is furnished by the secretary of the board with
two bank FORMS of VIII CHI must be filled IN
ny Inc prosecuting Oh the county IN WnlCn
he convicted the other by the person who
agrees to give him employment. The former must
certify in the words of the form that to his knowl
edge the applicant for parole has not been con-
victed of a penal ofense prior to the CRIME for
which he s now sentenced, and also that he has
mo knowledge of any other Indictment or other
ser Gus charge pending that would render the pa
role of the said applicant unsafe or injudcious'
! Who lot 70 do Il
immediately upon his release with employment
OF useful and honorable nature, and to laid and
encourage him to comply with the conditions of
his parole and to become useful end honorable
member of society"
The results of three years trial of this method
have been satisfactory beyond the most sangu.ne
hopes of its advt Gates 1t really looks if Ohio
had gone far towards solving the great problem
How to implant and strengthen right spirit and
firm will in the criminal" The following tables
give the results of three years:
TABLE NO. l.
Total number of prisoners paroled ........... 302
Number discharged by expiration of sentence 126
Mum Der respond ng regularly. ......-........ 154
Number not reporting. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ~
TABLE NO. 2.
! Number who have violated the conditions of
Number whose whereabouts is UNKNOWN. Is
Number who have been returned to prison.. 10
TABLE NO. 8.
Number returned to the Observation-Disclosures. 10
Reasons for the same:
| Drunkenness and disOrderly conduct. ......... s
| Temporary absence from state. .-........ &
| SEOOtlng, cutting. etc.
| Burglary and Larceny. ........................
| To more clearly illustrate the restraining nhu-
| ence which the parole law exercises on its bene
fciar.es. it may rot be out of place to specify, by
way of comparison with the previous table, the
various charges upon which such paroled persons
were .mprisoned;
TABLE NO. 4.
! RtroI nd