The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-09-26
TepMe.( S1.OO per year. in advance
Six Months 80 cents.

in the enactment of laws, promises pro-
lection to it's citizens. Does she do it
when she turns an habitual criminal
loose upon the unsuspecting public? 1t
has been suggested that the grading
and parole systems in our prisons will
open the way for the release of danger
Gus criminals. We can say, after over
three years experience, that if the dan
gerous criminal is thus liberated, it is
not the fault of the system. will not
contend that it cannot occur, but do
assert that when it does occur, it is not
the fault of the system, but in the i'm
perfect method of its application and
in shortsighted judgment of the man
agement.
Properly administered, the grading
and parole system is the greatest pos
sible protection against the premature
release of the criminal. Under its in
fuence humane and healthy standard
of discipline can be maintained with
very little severe punishment. The
prisoner is taught that he must be mas
ter of himself He makes his existence
in prison fairly tolerable, or can render
it as turbulent and disagreeable as he
pleases. Whether in the school room
or at the work bench, these conditions
are ever present and must decide ''for
veal or for woe." What better Op-
portunity can be desired on the part
of the management to study the pur-
pose and character of a prisoner?
The best proof that we have had that
the grading and parole system is in line
with high order of prison manage
ment is the fact that the only dissatis
fed members of our penal body polite
are the so-called professional criminals.
Among some of the safeguards adopted
by the management of our prison to
prevent deception and to guard against
the release of the unworthy on parole,
| will mention the following: When
first admitted the prisoner is carefully
examined A brief history of his life
is recorded. When length of time
served, conduct, as indicated by grade
standing and by personal observation
as to character make him eligible to
parole as far as his prison record is con-
cerned, he is again called into the War
den's office for personal examination.
His past history is gone over again. He
is required to tell the complete personal
story of his past life, giving names OF
people he has worked for, places where
he has lived, dates, etc., together with
the names and addresses of at least one
half dozen reputable people who can
vouch for the truthfulness of state
ments made. All this may be verified
by correspondence. With such knOwl-
edge of the history, character and ante
cedents of the prisoner, together with
what has been learned during his term
of Imprisonment, it furnishes the man
agement with a knowledge that should
: enable it to judge wisely in granting
Y paroles. These precautionary measures
e will serve to discover the professional
n criminal every time, no matter how
Ii we'll he wears the mask. AS proof that
II our management has been reasonably
3 successful in this respect and that few
a mistakes need be made in granting pa
e roles, will say that out of l3O prison
e ers paroled out of our prison in the last
E. three years only three have broken their
S. paroles and became fugitives from jus,
n tice. Ten, all told, have been returned
st to prison for not living up to parole
,e laws. Only one out of the whole num-
1t ber paroled so far as the management
a has been able to ascertain, has returned
al to life of crime.
The sitting process of individual ex
I'd animation that the safe application OF
1e this system requires fixes the character
Ill identity so clearly that few mistakes
IS need be made. This is evidenced,
Sc think, in the record made by the man
en- agement of our prison, which is made
st all the more apparent when the fact il
a taken into consideration that many o.
a the prisoners have been held under pa
se. role from one to two years, instead O.
n six months, as required generally unde
te, reformatory sentences.