The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-22
THE TREATMENT OF Ex-coNvIoTs.

There has been much talk and some eff
fective action and legislation in this State
IN recent years regarding the reformation
of criminals, but it has all related to reform
within prison walls Nothing has been done
looking to the reformation or to the helping
of criminals after they leave prison. If this
is not a duty of the State it is certainly a
duty of society," and a philanthropic work
which the State should encourage as far as
1t can legitimately. OF course, there are
some criminals who are irreclaimable and
for whom no permanent good can be done
either in prison or after they leave it, but
there are many who come out of prison with
"a desire to lead honest lives and who are
susceptible to aid in that direction. Such
cases appeal strongly to philanthropic peo-
pie and to society In general, which should
use every available means to prevent the
increase Of crime. The situation of ex-
convicts who really desire to reform after
leaving prison is sometimes pathetic. Many
of them when they are discharged from
prison are as helpless as children, with no
ideas of what they must do in order to get
on. Perhaps former life of idleness and
crime mas prevented them from acquiring a
knowledge of honest pursuits and methods
In addition to this they are under the stig-
ma that always attaches to a convict-a
stigma that the State makes no effort to
remove, that the police generally take pains
to exploit and that society recognizes as a
ban. No matter what good resolutions or
desires the ex-convict may have he is, to a
considerable extent, a blacklisted man.
Disgrace is an inevitable feature of punish
ment for crime for which the criminal him
self is responsible, and yet any general plan
Of reforming criminals should include some
means of mitigating the disgrace in the case
Of those who wish to reform and Of helping
them in the way to honest lives The man
who comes out of prison only to find every
avenue of honest employment closed and
every mans hand against him is very apt to
plunge into crime, either as means of live
nhood or revenge. Crime, like drunkenness,
is largely matter of habit, and the Grim
inal, like the drunkard, can be cured by
prolonged term of enforced abstinence aided
by treatment that will develop his self
respect and desire to live honestly. If we
understand the meaning of the indetermin-
ate sentence it is that a criminal is to be
treated exactly ASA .lunaticiwho is sent to
an asylum or a sick man who goes to a
hospital-until cured Scientifically, there
must be time for certain effects to be made
upon the character of the criminal who is
treated as if mentally diseased. But even
in cases Of complete cure there is always
danger of relapse, and as crime is menace
to society it is the interest of society to pre-
vent the relapse of criminals. Strictly
speaking, no plan for reforming convicts is
complete that does not find a place in the
outside world for those who are discharged
as reformed and thus give them chance to
lead honest lives. If reformed convicts are
to be blacklisttd and boycotted by society
after their discharge from prison it would
be better for them and for society that they
should be kept in prison indefinitely.