The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-05-30
Suspended Sentences and JaiIs.


One of the best articles | have seen in
THE MIRROR for some time is that under
the caption, How TO Make Professionals.
But in some respects. [ think. the writer is
mistaken; and while trying to correct some
Of these errors, l will endeavor to enlarge
on the theories advanced.
That the suspended sentence" in the
case of first offenders is move in the right
direction, has ceased to be theory. for
pract &c has fully demonstrated it's truth
years since, in some states. However, do
not believe that the second arrest should
always be the fiat as it were. for pro-
nouncing the culprit professional Grim
inal. 1t is. and always has been, diff
cult for judges TO discriminate in admins
tering human laws. and so it will continue
to be until detectives police officers. and
all connected with criminals and courts of
law. work in harmony for justice and moth
ing but justice; and SO long as this lack of
discrimination exists, ''suspended SEN
tences." ''habitua4 criminal laws" ETC.,
will worse than fail in seeing justice done.
W hat kind of men does this ''habitual criml-
nal'' law affect? If it could be made to
reach the professional thief, it would be
well. but the truth is. that ninety nine times
in hundred, the prisoner 'sent up'' under
this law is halfwitted boy or an idiot,
and 50 it would be with the suspended SEN
tence. The BertillOn system of regstra-
ton is of little use (and will be of less. but
on the contrary would only assist in this
work of injustice of sending those to prison,
who ought rather be in an asylum for the
mbecile, for there are methods known al
ready to smart professionals for beating
the system.
There never was a theory advanced for
capturing thieves. causing their conviction
or interfering with their nefarious trade.
but in short time they managed to num-
Der it with the difficulties of the past. The
best possible proof of this assertion is the
fact that our prisons are by no means pop
ulated by professionals. They seem to take
the advice of a numerous writer of the
day who says: My son. be honest in all
things. but if you must be thief. steal
enough to buy justice; for justice in this
country comes high"
The suspended sentence would be q great
and glorious boon to the boy who can be
made to see the evils of criminal life. and
it will be such boon without any reference
to the BertilOn system. provided the man.
ner of treating prisoners in the jails OF the
country is made to harmonic with the end
in view. 1t is true that the suspended SEN
tence derives its strength from the fact, that
the turning point in every offenders life is
when he is behind the bars for the first
time, but the embryo "Claude Duval' sees
very little in the average Jail. as now man
aged, to give him the idea that tine life of a
criminal is such very horrible one. There
is where he hears the jOcular cry 1.-TWO
beers on a round table and-'rOll Jordan
rolf I'll be out before the ink is dry on the
books" etc., and he is unable to see. if he is
very young. that it is not the real feelings
of the ''Old timers that speak, but only
sort of dutch courage" kept up before each
other, for effect, and to keep their own
spirits from dropping too low. He does not
hear ANYTHING of that kind when he reaches
the state prison: on the contrary, he has
ten times more real courage with which to