The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-03-05

ton.
The kind of help the prisoner needs
most upon his release from prison is
some employment to which he can go
at once that will enable him to earn an
honest living surrounded by proper in
f1uences, that his efforts to do right may
be recognized and encouraged. The
state agent has been entrusted with
this great responsibility, and, while he
has done much to help these unfortu-
nates he is unequal to the task. The
prison association, in it's local and state
organizations, can, and, l am sure, will,
supply the help so much needed to
round out and complete the best and
most helpful features of our penal and
reformatory systems. 1t matters not
how successfully the prisoner may be
handled or treated while in prison, if
the work is not taken up and carried
on after the state is obliged to relin-
quish it's surveillance, all efforts for his
reformation may come to naught The
state has made ample provisions for
the treatment of the prisoner while in
confinement, or until he has paid the
debt provided by law. Wisely. dis
creetly and humanely she conducts him
safely through his term and trials of
imprisonment. When released she
leads him to the outer prison door,
over the threshold of which he fire.
quently steps, alone and unaided,
facing the great responsibility of adj
justing himself to to the requirements
of society. Is it wonder that so
many have fallen back into lives of
crime?
Knowing the natural weaknesses of
these unfOrtunates. as I do. [ wonder
that so many have faithfully stood the
test. Many of them are more weak
than sinful. 1t is their purpose and
desire to do right when they leave the
prison. They go forth with high re-
solves and good intentions, deluding
themselves with the belief that they
can stand firm and resist temptation,
but alas, they are soon surrounded by
their old-time companions and evil as
sociations. They soon learn to their
sorrow that they are again driven to
the wall in the unequal contest, some
of them because they are too weak to-
resist the temptation to do wrong I'M
der stimulus, and many of them be-
cause they were not treated right by
our good people. I believe that the
good people of our state-and thank
God there are many of them-are full
of charity and benevolence; that it is
the desire and wish of their hearts to
lift up the fallen and strengthen the
weak. The reason they have not given
more help to this class of unfOrtunates
is not because they are lacking in those
God-like graces, benevOlence and char
ity, but because they have not come
face to face with the unfortunate con-
dition often surrounding the man just
released from prison, and consequent
ly they do not know how badly their
assistance is needed Through the
prison association the help Of our good
people can be secured, and much sub
stantial good may be done. The most
critical time in the whole life of a per-
son who has been convicted of crime
for the first time is when he leaves the
prison. The first few steps he takes
generally decide his future course in
life. If he falls again, there is but very
little hope for him.
Society owes no greater debt than
that of giving proper help and encour
agement to those she has punished for
violating her laws. If Imprisonment
and punishment has for it's main OBJ
ject the reformation of the criminal,
society is in duty bound to do her part
to put him back again in gear and in
harmony with the machinery of its
government. If it does not do so, it
neglects the highest duty it owes to
God and humanity. I do not claim
that all prisoners can be made law
abiding citizens under the most favor
able conditions, but l do claim that
many of those who have gone wrong
could have been saved to lives of hon
esty and usefulness had they received
proper treatment upon their release
from prison. Let society do it's whole
duty towards the prisoner, and if he
still persists in violating it's laws, he
should be put away for the balance of
his natural life. But until society has
faithfully performed it's part, the per-
picking question often asked, "What
is the cause of the rapid increase Of
crime?" must remain, in part at least,
unanswered.