The record-union., 1893-01-07

young men. But neither State has as yet
the parole system TO which Governor
Markham so earnestly invites the atten-
ton of the Legislature. We have not
now, and cannot have without some radi-
cal changes. the classification system so
as to put all the young convicts under
one prison charge. We have old and
young. the hardened, incorrigible and re-
peated criminals ana tie neophytes in
crime in a common prison building.
Under such a system not much manly
stimulation is possible. Diligent and sin
cere as the officers are, their labors must
be largely negatived by this mixed asso-
citation. Credit marks, trusts and com
mendation about compass all we can do
in our prisons under Fhe present sys-
tenn.
Governor Fifer Of Illinois, in his final
message, referring TO a system such as
we have in California, said:
The fundamental error, which 4 true prison
reform must correct, is that which treats with
indlscrimnate rigor all who Violate the
criminal CODE, and which in the prom iScuity
OF common dt graduation drives every
prisoner or the STATE into Il fJrceI aud lifelong
war against society. 1t is tire bauc Of our
police regulation that they know but TWO
cilsses-those who break and those who OBJ
serve the cold letter o1 the law. CT past op-
portunitles, Of murai capacity, Of the pollu-
tons OF environment, OF dt Etces Of moral
tufpltude, our system takes no account what
ever. We deliberately draw dead
line, and he who crosses over, if detected, falls
INTO guli as black and bOtiOmIesS MS DEATH
we refuse 10 recognize. IN legal way, the
! patent TACT that in many cases those who step
across this line are no. morally worse than
many others who dally along its edge, barely
mlstaklus the one lltal step, or who, taking
! that step, have the good fortune to DO SO when
/ the police are not on guard.
| Even if we had series of departments
for confinement of the criminals, or classi-
fication of them in each prison and grad
ing and separation, it would still be wise
to attach the parole system to the State
! scheme of punishment and reformation.
What this is was outlined in the
! RECORD UNION of Thursday; we set
forth at the same time some Of the most
cogent reasons advanced by its advocates
in its behalf, and contrasted the situa-
ton of the paroled man with the abso-
lutely free discharged prisoner, who,
IN ninety-nine cases out of hundred,
finds his way to honest living effectually
barred, no matter how sincere his desire
to no more offend and however brave and
determined his efforts 10 be of some value
to society.
| If mere revengeful punishment (Which
the State cannot entertain) is not the pur-
pose of the Imprisonment, but example
and the protection of society the real
purposes, then, while the first is made by
the deprivation of liberty, the latter is by
that and by parole-Iberty earned, best
secured. That is to say, society is better
protected by the discharge of prisoner
under parole than by the discharge of one
over whom no restraint is exercised and
to whom no aid is given to regain decent
footing among men.
/ AS our system now is, the man who
serves out his time does not eXpiate his
crime; society pursues and Furnishes him
afterward and hounds him back to crimi-
nal levels whether he viii or not