The record-union., 1895-03-05
TO AID DISCHARGED PRISONERS.
Strong Argument in Favor of a Pro-
posed Measure.
How Men Are Driven into Crime Who
Could be Made Useful and
Law-Abfding Citizens.

Eds hECORD"U MON: OQe OF the most
difficult and discouraging features of the
criminal problem lies in the disadvantage
the newly-discharged prisoner is under
in his efforts to regain footing on and
after his dismissal from term of service
an State prison. Out Of ,351 men in
carcerated in San Quentin, from the re-
port of 1894, 1,076 were serving their first
term Of imprisonment. Out of the ag-
gregate of 14.770 men from the inception
of the prison to January /, 1892, only 16
per cent. have served more than one
term.
In the absence of scientific test Gf
such there be) it is reasonably safe to pre-
sumo that the second termer and he
alone is justly entitled to the term criminal
per Sc. 1t would be as unsafe as it is un-
just to denominate prisoner such solely
by virtue Of his single otfense and conse-
quent incarceration. Crime at bottom is
only exaggerated wrong doing, made
and determined such by public law. and
the boundary line between which is
ottentimes more matter Of casualty
than concrete reasoning. A man strikes
another a blow for a real or fancied
grievance. If it lands on thick skull
he is guilty of simple assault; if upon
vital spot, he becomes criminal. Not
few Of the statutory crimes and offences
that cons1gn their perpetrators to con-
dign punishment are committed under
the impulse OF passion and lack OF SELF
control without the presence of criminal
intent as real premedIated cause.
1t is, perhaps, perfectly safe to say that
at least 90 per cent. and over of the men
assigned to our penal institutions never
oil
belong to the ordinary run of men with
perhaps no more or less natural procliv-
lty to run into excess than the generality
OF mankind, but with this disadvantage,
that they forever bear upon their lives
the lneradicable stamp of al eX-convlct.
That fatal mark, like The blood on Lady
Macbeth's hand, will not out, ''the fatal
shadow that walks by them STILL"
The greatest incubus and an inseper-
able barrier TO any possible rehabilitation
even under the most favorable circum-
stances, rests upon this class when dis
charged, to renew the battle Of life with
ruined reputation and the piJiful sum
provided by the State with which to tide
over the crisis that not infrequentIy de-
cldeS their subsequent career for good or
Ill. 1t ls placing such men at great
odds. 1t Is asking bankrupt to COM
pete in the race with the fully equipped.
If that competition was one merely of
would not be SO great. Its Inequality lies
In the brand placed upon him by the
State that Is now asked IN an eminently
humanitarian tentative measure to reach
out the kindly hand to put him upon his
feet until such time as he can be reason
ably expected to take his place again as
useful and law-abiding member of
society.
The bill introduced in the Senate re-
Gently that provides for supplying dis
charged prisoners with work is Just aud
humane one, and is a practical step in ad-
vance with the best prison movement in
the East. In Massachusetts, where the
same has been in active operation for
many years, Mr.. Russell, in a letter to
Hon. K. L. Devlin, then Secretary of the
State Prison Directors, speaks in strongly
encouraging terms of the system in vogue
for twenty-five years. Numerous letters
to the same effect speak in similar strain,
and many from men eminent in peno-
logical work, such as MIR. Bunkerhotf of
Ohio, MIR. Brockway of Elmira, Wardens
Brush and Carter of Wisconsin strongly
favor il. Mr.. Taylor of the Connecticut
prison says in relation to this prisoners
aid association: Tine majority of pris-
oners who come into the Connecticut
State Prison are young men, vino, if su b.
Jected to retormatory influences during
their imprisonment, may, with a fair
prospect OF reformation, be discreetly as
sisted to obtain honest employment
when they are discharged from prison.
Among these 27S prisoners (assisted) |
do not believe twenty-five professio nal
criminals can be found, etc."
The system there through wise ad
ministration, is very effective. Warden
Watkins, referring to tbs injustice of
sending out these men under such ad
verse conditions, says: Under the pres
ent law it is my duty to pleace the pris-
oner, when discharged, upon a railroad
train with ticket for his home, if within
this State; II not, then TO his place OF con-
viction. Less than 90 per cent. of the
men discharged have any home within
the State, and but few desire to go back
to the place whence they came. The
State pays them no money on their dis
charge, and the result is that many are
landed from the cars at the place where
they were convicted, with no money
or friends, comparative strangers, known
only TO the officers who arrested them
before, and perhaps companion or two
In the former crime. The officers are
naturally suspicious and watchful OF
them, and consider it their duty to in
form any man who takes them into his
employ that they are recently out OF
prison. The result is Immediate dis
charge from service and the ex-conVict
starts out as tramp"
This is faithful picture of conditions
In our own State, OF which l could give
many sad veritications. The subsequent
DRIFT OF the unfortunate can readily be
traced. AT the close OF the above report
the writer submits his conclusion, which
beg In this connection 10 make my own,
and submit to our legislators as a fair
proposition relative to our duties to these
unfortunates: with the expenditure OF
SIO,OO0 to $4,000 year, through "a Stale
agent or State association, for the relief
assistance
believe that many OF this large number
could have been safely tided over the
dangerous epoch in their lives and guided
into ways OF honesty" Our own expe-
rlence Is that very many of the men who
have gone out of these prisons, If this
slight aid and reasonable oversight eX-
tending over the critical period OF their
return to freedom could have been ac-
corded them, 1t would not only have
given decided stimulus of bent TO their
subsequent lives, but actually reduced
the criminal element, conserved the in
terest Of the State, and amply repaid it for
Its slight outlay In habilitaIing other wise
ruined lives. 1t operates as a stimulus;
1t has staying influence; its moral aud
economic value in the end can scarcely
be overestImated.
An Act 10 this intent has been repeat
edly urged by our own most excellent
Board OF Prison Directors, and its Secre-
tary closes his report to this end as tar
back as 1880, recommending that sail
that can be done in our judgment at the
present time is to provide an agency for
aiding discharged convicts. This is the
plan adopted in Massachusetts, and the
results attained by it have been satisfac-
tory. This is a subject that has not at
tracted the attention it should attract.
We believe that we should do at least
this much" The board above referred 10
has gathered mass of valuable CORE