The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-01

Generri Sessions Judges Favor Re-trietion
Of E:n.irn Ne ormatorY Sentrncra

| General ss..ion. Judges Favor Re-trietio,
| OF E:.sira ne ormatory seutsucr..
1T would be q mistake. I think. to pass III,
| bill introduced at Albany last Tuesday to re
strict the length OF sentences to the Elmir,
| Reformatory." said Judge Rufus Il. CowinR II
the General Sessions building yesterday. II
should be remembered that the first object o
that Institution 10 to reform the criminal. Anc
to that end the law provides that persons be-
| tween IL and 80 years old. convicted OF Grim 0
may be sent to that reform atory without AM
| limit The length OF time OF imprison me nj
| depends entirely on good behavior. That IL
| an incentive to the prisoner TO behave well
and reform his life. so that he may the soon OF
be released. II he should DO sentenced for n
| certain length OF time from the General ses-
sions or any court in this State then he would
not have the desire to improve that would
actuate him II he was master OF his own des-
tiny. He would 1t seems TO me. settle down In
a hopeless way. and. being without hope.
would tend to q stolid. morose habit OF IN ind
that would not tend to reform him and enable
him to pursue the remainder OF his life In an
honest calling.
What I should like" continued Judge
CowinR. Is the enactment OF . law By which
incorrigible criminals at the Elmira Roforma-
tory could be returned to the court where they
them to state prison. As It is now. such GRIM
inals are By law sent to State prison from the
rsIormatory to servo out the ma ximum term
to which they would have been sentenced had
they been taken at once from the court where
they wore convicted to- state prison."
time for sentencing prisoners to the Elmrs
Retormatory would be desirable amendment
Trial Judges. he said. are very careful to
examine into the antecedents OF all persons
brought before them in tho General Sessions.
rssnsst s8Iu pea 10 tss rev INA.
think It reasonable that / should know moro
about the past life Of . criminal in this iuris-
Of the Emira Reformatory. L helieye that
Judges MARITIME and Cowin2 know perfectly
we'll to what length OF time they should send
result that restless spirits. knowing they were
10 be there eight or ten years. or whatever the
time might he required for them to stay, would
to amend their lives. instead Of hoping all the
while that they would soon be free.
Il agree" continued tho Recorder. that
incorrigiIle prisoners should bs. returned for
sentence to the trial court ms eadof being sent
to state prison For in,,ansS II man
person he might yet twenty yeaIs In state
prison. Now II an 'incorr'eble' was sent
Would got lie fu term n less eom%Ststins
for good behavior: but il returned to the Gem
eraI Sessions Judge often would not ermit
years. As tho law now stands there Is no
Judge MARITIME said: lam inclined to be-
this or some such hill should be passed and
should become law. IL Is certainly an out
rsGe thsf prisoner though e on Of
keformatory authorities to state prison for
the full term when the Judge. II no were TO
place, would not infict half or n third Of the
length oil imprisonment Inflicted"