The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-12
ONE BOARD
FOR THREE.
A Board of Penal Control is
Proposed
Instead Of Three Other State
Boards.
MAKES IMPROVEMENT
At Least in the Expense to the
State.
Indeterminate Sentences Are
Provided For.
MAKES IMPROVEMENT

Governor Stanley and the Republican
leaders in the legislature, both house
and senate, have been assured by the
Populist managers that there will be CO.
operation among all of them in the in
terests of prison reform along the lines
proposed by Senator John Armstrong
in the bill which he has pending in the
senate.
1t is proposed to create a board of
control of three members for the state
penal institutions and place under the
direction of this board the affairs OF
the state reformatory at Hutchinson,
the reform school at Topeka and the
state penitentiary. To effect this COM
bination the measure proposed by Mr..
Armstrong abolishes the board of di-
rectors of the penitentiary, three mem
bers; also the board of directors of the
state reformatory which has three
members; abolishes also the state board
of pardons and removes from the state
board of charities control of the reform
school.
The bill also provides for the classif1-
cation of prisoners at the penitentiary;
for their parole and provides for in
determinate sentences, the duration OF
which will depend upon the conduct of
the prisoner.
In his message to the legislature Gov
ernor Stanley devoted considerable at
tention to the subject of prison reform
and this bill contains many of the fea-
lures which he suggested should be
adopted in dealing with the states
criminal classes. The measure which
Mr.. Armstrong now presents has been
passed in two previous sessions of the
senate but failed in the house If there
is any truth in the old saying that the
third time is the charm Mr.. Arm
strong feels success will crown his
efforts at this session.
MAY SUIT POPULISTS.
This bill contains the essential fea-
lures of the ideas of many of the Pop
ulist members of the senate and the
subject will be in the regular session to
them what the railroad question was in
with this sentiment there is much in
terest in the subject of civil service re-
form in the state charitable institutions
and the favor with which the two pro-
positions are being discussed indicates
that something will likely be done be-
fore the regular session adjourns.
The board of control proposed by Mr..
Armstrong is to be appointed by the
governor, no more than two members
thereof being in one political party. The
term of office is fixed at four years.
The members of the board will be re-
quired to file bond of $4,000 with the
state auditor and shall receive as COM
pensation 81, 500 annually and all actual
and necessary expenses. The board is
to have a clerk who must be a stenog-
rapher and do the work of the board
for $500 per year.
A system of grading is to be estab-
lished. Prisoners are to receive merit
results accomplished in their work.
Dereliction and negligence will be
punished by demerit marks. Prisoners,
once each month, are to be notified as
to their standing.
When a prisoner by diligence and
study gives evidence of having improved
his character to such an extent that he
will no longer indulge in violations of
the law he may, upon the recommended
ton of the board be granted a condi-
tional pardon or paroled, subject to the
control of the board, but the slightest
violation of the provisions of the parole
or the pardon will land him back in his
cell.
INDETERMINATE SENTENCES
The proposed law contains the follow
ing provision: Amy person who shall
be convicted for the first time of an Of
Tense punishable by confinement in the
state penitentiary shall be imprisoned
according to this act and not otherwise.
And, the courts of this state imposing
such sentence shall not fix the limit of
duration thereof. The term of impris-
onment for any person so convicted and
sentenced shall be terminated by the
board of control as authorized by this
act but such Imprisonment shall not ex-
coed the maximum term provided by
law for the crime for which the prison.
er was convicted and sentenced
The clerks of district courts wherein
prisoners are convicted under the pro-
visions of this act will be required to
furnish to the board of control a COM
plete copy of the indictment and the
plea and all other details of record con-
nected with the case.
CLEMENS ADDTES