The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-11-20

Noi hiilS5 liouis lilS puillolliltlt ools
 until the prisoner is willing and the
 management satisfied that he will re
 turn to his work and give no further
 trouble. Again, the change of clothing
 from the stripes to the cadet blue fol
 the first-grade prisoner and checker
 ed cloth of a dark and gray check for I the second grade, and the stripes for the third grade. The lock-step has also
 been abolished and instead prisoners are permitted to march in military or der, two abreast. These three reforms the abolshment of the lash, the
 striped clothing and the lock-step--
 have done more to improve the condi-
 tion of the prisoner and make him feel
 like man than anything that has
 been done.
 "The indeterminate sentence law | means that when prisoner is sen
 fenced to prison he goes for mini
 mum and maximum term, which is deterined by law in accordance with the offense committed. It may be from | one to three years, one to fourteen, two | to fourteen, or two 10 twenty-one years. On entering the prison the l prisoner is permitted to enter second
 grade-that is, his clothing will be of the checkered cloth. While in this grade he will be permitted to write one
 letter a month and receive one visit
 per month from friend. At the end
 of three months, with perfect deport- ment in this grade, the prisoner will
 be advanced to the first grade and the clothing will be of the cadet blue. In
 this grade the prisoner is permitted to
 write two letters per month and receive
 two visits per month from his friends.
 For the breaking of any rules that
 have been adopted by the management
 the prisoner may be reduced in grade;
 if reduced to the third grade he will
 don the stripes, and while in this
 clothing will not be permitted to write
 letters nor receive visits from his
 friends, nor to read in his cell
 With the grading of the prisoner
 from the time he enters the institution the management ebgins to study him, making a careful investigation as to his previous history while on the out side, and finding, if possible, if he has criminal record. If he is illiterate he Is taken to the sohoolroom four even- ings in the week and nine monthe in the year. There he is taught to read and write. He Is permitted to attend Christian Endeavor meetings each Sunday morning and regular chapel service every Sunday forenoon;; he is also permitted to have in his cell the best library books, papers and maga- zines. With such methods as these the authorities are enabled to study each prisoner and at the end of his minimum sentence are able to judge | as to the character and habits of the | prisoner when he appears before the | parole board asking for parole.
 This brings ue to the manner in which the indeterininate sentence and | parole law is administered, when a 1 prisoner has served one or two years in prison, as the case may be, and has with the rules he is permit ted to come before the parole board, The board first examines the state ment made by the trial judge and attorney; they then ques- tion the prisoner as to his past record. If they find that he has served other sentences and that his past life has been spent in crime, his case will not pe ldVOFdDly COHSIuSlCd Cd DS tlIC pOuIu and he will be ordered to return to his work not knowing just when he will again have another chance to be heard by the board. On the other hand, if he obard finds that 1t Is the prisoners first offence, and that the judge and who tried him are favorable 70 his parole and the records and all evidence at hand go to show that the prisoner will again become useful ,itizen. they will parole him. Employ nent then must be found for the pris- ,ner. usually in the home of his own people. if they are responsible; if not, we will secure work for him in fac , ory or on a farm, the person giving 1 he employment agreeing to pay reas- , .nable wages for one year and to take friendly interest in the prisoners welfare. He is also to see that the ( makes his reports to the war len or superintendent on the first of ( ach month for the previoue month tating in this report the number of I avs he has worked: if idle, for what { eason; amount of money earned and ( mount expended, and for what: how c lany times he has attended church r uring the month and where; where t is evenings have been spent; how of V