The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-10

more complete subsection.
In order that there could be no de-
ception even after this elaborate precau-
ton had been taken would have the
man report regularly to the police at GER
tain intervals for, say, a year or eight
cen months. II at the end of that period
he showed no disposition to offend
second time the surveillance could close.
To carry this out logically it would be
necessary to have 1t plainly and distinct
ly understood and made matter of gen.
eral public knowledge that second
transgression meant Immediate depriva-
ton Of liberty and ..Ife Imprisonment
without the right of appeal.
Il believe Ii is possible by the means
which / have briefly outlined to divide
the criminal population into two classes
the reclaimable and the irreclaimable.
Society should not be forced to bear the
burden Of expense which the complicated
machinery of the law now entails In
winding this endless chain of crime. 1t
would cost less and be of vastly more
benefit TO the community to keep the
habitual criminal continuously under
lock and key than to arrest him, release
him and rearrest him, paying roundly
for each process"
w. NJ. F. Round, of the Prison Reform
Association of New York, who is one OF
the best known penologists in the coun-
try, in speaking of Mr.. Warmers views
on the subject of criminals and their
treatment, said recently: Il agree with
Mr.. Warner in many respects, but 1T
seems to me that he goes little too far
in what he says. He is little too Sc
we're and intolerant, ii seems TO ME.
Those who have had most to do with
criminals know that many who are at
first considered hopeless cases eventual
ly have been reformed. There is really
no such thing as an irrecldimable case.
The only difficulty is that We have
neither the time nor the meaDs of reach
ing the cases which seem to us hopeless
1t is right that 1t should be so, toe. Our
time must and ought to be given to those
who really wish TO reform. We might
reach hundred men while lighting one
stubborn case. 1t is for this reason,
really, that we term certain classes
habitual criminals. Mr. Warner says
that he thinks that after second con-
viction for felony the felon should be
committed to prison for the rest of his
life. / think that is going a little too
far. The law in Ohio seems to be a pref
ty good one. There after third convic-
ton for felony the offender receives a
life sentence. The plan works very well.
A REFORMER'S IDEA.
Then, too, the indeterminate sentence
is imposed in nearly all cases in that
State. 1t rests entirely with the man.
ayers of the penal and reformatory in
detained. OF course, under this system
it is necessary to have men of the great
est knowledge and skill at the head of
such institutions 1 myself wish that
our reformatory work could have a
wider field. There should be plenty CT
prison labor and the prisons should be
made reformatories. The men should be
shown how TO earn their living and
taught how to be honest and upright.
The idea of parole is, of course, good,
and we have found that it works very
satisfactorily in the case of men who are
paroled from Elmira. They are most Of
them paroled in the care of our associa-
ton. and they report here at designated
intervals
1.-The cry has been raised that if the
men released from States prison were
treated in this way they would not re-
port. / think that they would. The plan
of police supervision is, of course, out of
the question. The police have other
things to do, and they do not take much
stock in the reformation of criminals.
AS a rule the police would not believe
that man had reformed. "A criminal
once, a criminal always is their motto.
I'VE find, however, that the young rlen
who come from Elmira do report with
considerable regularity.
The most available figures in regard
to this point have at hand are for the
year ending Oct. 81, 1894. In that year
there were paroled from Elmira 400
young men. OF that number ninety-two
stopped reporting and broke their parole
OF this ninety-twO fifteen were returned
to the reformatory and five were sent 10
State prison. That. think, is a pretty
good showing. 1t certainly shows that
most of those who have had the benefits
OF the refOrmatOry are reformed, and
that, of course. is all that we are aim
ing at.
Il wish heartily that we could see an
indeterminate sentence law passed; that
we could see all prisoners under reform
atory treatment for the first and second
offenses, meaning by offenses felonies
and after that life Imprisonment. II
would be a good thing for every one
Criminals would be fewer, property
would be safer and the expense to the
State would be much lighter"
Chief of Police Conlin was too busy to
give very much time to a consideration
of Mr. Warmers views, but he at once
had something to say about the posi-
bility of the police keeping watch over
paroled prisoners. He evidently under
stood surveillance" to mean that the
police should be employed to watch re-
leased cOnvicts, when Mr.. Warmers idea
was that surveillance meant the per-
sonal report of the ex-prisoner.
Such course would be utterly i'm
possible. How could we follow these
men? Even now there are about -four
hundred men paroled each year from
Elmira. The great majority of them
come here. The only way we could keeI
track of them would be to keep them al.
ways in sight. The absurdity of such q
proposition does not have to be demon
strated. Mr.. Warner is pretty severe
| upon the offenders, it seems to me
There are many cases where a man will
be trying to reform and yet commit &
second offense. Would 1t be right t.
| send that man to prison for life? Tt
give him no other chance to reform? L
seems to me we have still enough of the
| teachings of Christ left in our hearts t
| know better than that. Is there an,
| mercy or charity in such a proposition
/ am afraid Mr.. Warner has not giver
| the subject of crime and criminals very
| deep thought or he would not have taker
the stand ne has. Iifully agree with al
that he says in regard to trying to re
form prisoners. There cannot be too
much of that sort of work attempted"
WHEN A WIDOW WEEDS.