The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-03-02

Houses of Correction and the Reform
atOrieS. In those institutions, the ma
jority of the inmates are chronic drunkS,
trampS, and the lowest class of the in
digent poor, while the wards in State
Prisons and Penitentiaries are usually.
individuals higher in the scale of intel,
lect, education, and social position, who
have made a false step in life and are
much more amenable to the emotions
of repentance, remOrSe, and v1rtuOuS
resolves.
The fundamental principle underly
ing any successful Parole System is that
no offender is absolutely incOrrigible-
that there can be no such thing as "total
depravity;" ergo, that ece,y culprit is,
to a greater or less extent, amenable to
the curative influence of judicious dis
cipline, kindness, reason and personal
example, Hence, though the gradatiOn
and classification of prisoners is an es-
sential preliminary to the esta abliShment
of a permanent Parole System, there
should be no arbitrary exclusion of any
one class of fprisOners from participation
in it's benefits. That is to say, that every
man, regardless of his length of sentence
or the nature of his OffenSe, should be
made to understand that he is his OaCa1
.jailor- that the time of his detention
within the walls of the prison depends
entirely on his own conduct, and on
nothing else. The man should be en-
abled to work out his own salvation
whether he be serving out life SEN
te1ace, or whether he has served more
terms than one If he breaks the con-
ditions of his parole, he is fully aware
that his Nemesis is at his heels, and that
he will be relegated to his cell for an in
definite period without further trouble
or expense to the community. The
very fact that he is brought within the
operation of the Parole System is the
best and surest guarantee to the general
public of his reform and reinstatement.
He is "on his good behavior" all the
time; as he knows that the slightest re-
lapse to criminal practice would deprive
him of his liberty.
1t would be invidiOuS and imperti-
nent to offer any suggestions as to the
internal management of the prison. 1t
is presumed, as a matter of course,
that, an institution, graded and claS-
Sifed in such manner as to secure
the highest possible physical, intel
lectual and moral culture necessary
to transform its ignorant, reckless, and
imprOvident inmates into self-reSpect-
ing, honest, law-abiding citizens, would
have at it's head man of large expert
ence, commanding presence, and extern
sive knowledge of the psychological and
physiological makeup of those placed
in his care; and that his subordinate
officers were all chosen because of their
special fitness to carry out his own views
iCIn nd
racy; and also that all his decisions and
strict integrity, impartiality, and sound
prompt acquiescence and profound re-
Spect of all parties concerned. These
facts must be taken for granted, other
of the prison for the privilege of parole
are certain auxiliary agencies, specially
designed for the aid and protection Of
the discharged prisoner, which are a
necessary cOrOllary to the refOrmatOry
discipline to which he has been sub
jected during his Imprisonment, and
without which all that has been done in
that direction would be null and void.
We will suppose, for the sake of argu-
ment, that the discharged prisoner has
received the percentage of his earnings
which have accumulated during his
time of sentence, that he has called on
the state agent for instruction and in
Productions to business, and that he
has strenuously resolved to live an hon.
est and reputable life in the future
He starts out on his journeys in search
of employment with the firm resolve to
efface the stigma of his prison life by
career of usefulness and honor, but he
is met at every point with disappoint-
ment, indifference, or possibly contume-
ly. He travels day after day, from noon
until night, arriving foot-sore and de-
spondent at his lonely lodging, without
friend to converse or advise with; if he