Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-13
A NEW PRISON BILL.

Senator Fassett, of New York, is the
author of the most strikingly original and
comprehensive prison bill that has yet
been brought before the attention of the
people Of that State, where prison reform
is a leading topic at this time. Its chief
virtue is the indeterminate sentence
scheme, but it is original in applying it
only to convicts who are over 16, and in
limiting it to a period between the maxi
mum and the minimum limits of punish
ment fixed by law for the crime "When
the minimum time has expired the pris-
oner may appear before a Board consisting
of the Superintendent of State Prisons,
the Agent and Warden, the clerk, the
physician and principal keeper of the
prison, and apply for discharge or release
on parole. If the Board thinks that the
applicant will lead the life of good citi-
zen thereafter it may release him on parole,
with the right at any time before the
maximum sentence would have expired to
again imprison him in case he should APP
parently have reverted to his old habits.
An absolute discharge may be granted
when the Board believes that the welfare
of society will not be jeopardized thereby"
The bill thus proceeds upon the theory
that the State should put premium upon
all genuine efforts to reform, and the pre-
MUM should be liberty under surveillance.
The bill prohibits corporal punishment OF
any kind, except short rations and cell
confinement. The most important portion
of the bill, however, refers to the labor
question, and will occasion whirlwind OF
debate in New York. 1t requires the
prisoners to be classified into the cor
rigible, the apparently incorrigible (but
who are able to work and the hardened
or incorrigible. So far as is possible these
classes are to be kept separate, and promo
tions are to be made as merit deserves:
prisoners of the first grade are to be EN-.
ployed with reference to fitting them to engage
though no useful or salable products IT suit from
the labor. This is based upon the ground that
good citizenship is far more valuable than reve-
nue. to the State. Prisoners of the second grade
are to be employed primarily with the object OF
obtaining the greatest value of saleble pro-
ducts, and secondarily of fitting them for hon.
est employment after discharge. The third or
hopelessly depraved class is to be employed
with the single purpose of making profit for
the State"
There are some limitations, however,
upon the employment of the prisoners,
Thus, the total number of prisoners en-
ployed at any one industry is not to ex-
coed 10 per cent. of the number of free
laborers in the State employed in the
same line. 1t also provided that the sup
plies required by the institutions supported
either wholly or partly by the State shall
be furnished from the prisons as far as pos
sible. There are some minor features, as
small wage rewards to life prisoners who
work faithfully, etc., but the main pro-
visions of the bill have been stated. They
deserve to be well considered and to re-
ceive thorough criticism. They impress
us favorably, and while upon the question
of labor in prisons, the bill comedies
something to the opposition of the trade
unions, as a whole it is nearer ap-
proach to the possible" in New York
than has yet been made.