The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-03-31


nails. is yet in the experimental stage in this
country, it having been adopted in only a
few states. But as applied to the modern
refOrmatories for the treatment of the
younger and more corrigible class of Grim.
inals. it is long past the experimental stage.
The parole may be said to be the very
foundation stone of those institutions. All
the states as fast as they can build reform
atories are doing so. Vnd wherever one is
opened the parole system is introduced. 1t
through the parole in the reformatories that
the system is being extended to the mana.
cement of state prisons and penitentiaries.
The system recommends itself favOrably to
all who take time to give it intelligent con-
sideratiOn.
The simple release of the prisoner on
parole is actually the least important feat
ure of the system. although to the superb
it. The good that results from the system
does not all come from the earlier release
on probation of the prisoner. but from that
part of the system he goes through in earn
regulations the governor has made for the
introduction of the system in this prison
reads as follows:
The board Of managers shall establish three
grades, with a system Of marks, under such regu.
lations as they may prescribe, and only first grade
men shall be eligible for a conditional pardon.
This means that the first step to be taken
role system is to introduce system of
grades. and we may say incidentally that
this will result in the displacement almost
wholly of the old. which is our present,
all that man has to do to earn his good
time is to ''say nothing and saw wood"
Everything. we may say, is run on the dead
level. There is little incentive for man
to do little better to day than he did yes
terday. He may be the best behaved and
most industrious convict in the prison for
ten years and vet not have risen above the
point at which he started-perhaps as the
in standing. What would be the effect of
such life on any class of men? 1t would
be dispiriting. and would be death to that
ambition to rise, without which men are of
little account. The grading system reverses
these old conditions. It gives the man a
chance to work his way up. gives him rec
Ognition for his worth as it increases, a
higher standing to gain and maintain. He
begins on the dav he enters prison to labor
for an early release. There is still some.
thing more for him to gain where the sys.
tenn is carried out in all its details and that
is. an education. The school is as much a
part of the grading system as the parole is.
Some who do not understand how such a
system works may think that with all this
educational and other work in the interest
of the convict the interest of the state will
be overlooked. But such will not be the
case. There are no institutions where labor
for the reimbursement of the state is pushed
more vigorously than in the model reform
atOries. The system calls upon a man to
put forth his best efforts in every line of
duty. If he would rise from the lowest
grade to the parole grade he has got to
make a perfect record, which is not an easy
thing where he is marked upon every move.
ment he makes Every capability of the
prisoner is brought into play. If he does
not choose to exercise his powers. has no
ambition to rise. he will 60 down to his
level.
Since the rules and conditions for parol-
ing by conditional pardons have been pub
lished there has been feeling among those
of the inmates who are not eligible to parole
that the law is too narrow in it's scope.
The writer believes so, too. We believe
that parole system should be broad enough
to include every man in the prison, and we
have no doubt but that the perfected sys.
tenn will. But it takes time and much
experimenting to perfect almost every good
thing. This present move is only an ex.
pertinent. The governor has simply ap-