The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-01-23


Youthful Criminals to Reform.
At Michigan City, Ind. the last
Prison Sunday was observed by union
heeting of the Methodist, Presbyterian
md Congregational Churches, held in
he Methodist Church. w. II. Whit.
aker, clerk of the State Prison, read
paper on "The Indeterminate Sen
ence aud Parole Law" He spoke,
part, as follows:
Before the passage OF this law all
prisoners sentenced in counties north
If n line running east and west through
he centre Of the State, which line
ouched the southern border of Marion
County, were sent to the Michigan
City prison, and all south of this line
we're sentenced to Jacksonville. This
vas done without regard to age, crime
)r the number of times the prisoner
nay have been i'll prison. The result
vas that many young boy who had
committed his first offense was thrown
nto prison and put into the same cell
With an old, experienced offender, and
Ifter serving his term of one or two
FEARS, with no attention being given
linn while in prison, he was discharged
graduate in crime. The new law
leeks to remedy just such cases as
,his by committing to the State Prison
I'll men who are over thirty years OF
lgc, and those who have been sent
need for life or treason and those
Who have served in prison moro than
lue term. To the Indiana Reforml-
DRY arc committed all persons under
thirty years of age, except those who
nave life sentence or are found guilty
If treason. The management of the
State Prison and the Reformatory. as
loon hs the laws were passed, in 1897,
set ont at once to adopt rules and pro-
tide for the better government of the
prisoners in their charge ms contem-
plated by the new law.
"Tho first reform that was insti-
mted ut these institutions was to
abolish the lash and i'll it's stead we'll
ventilated and warm cells were pro
'ided, where n prisoner is placed in
solitary confinement on short diet, be-
ug compelled to stand at his cell door
Turing working hours. This punish
ment lasts until the prisoner is will
ng aud the management is satisfied
that he will return to his work and
give no further trouble. Again, the
change OF clothing from the stripes to
the cadet blue for the first grade pria-
Oner and n chcckered cloth of n dark
and gray check for the second grade.
and the stripes for the third grade.
The lock-stGp has also been abolished
and instead prisoners are permitted
to march in military order, two
abreast. These three reforms--the
Adjustment of the lash, the striped
clothing and the ck-step-have done
more to improve the condition of the
prisoner and make him feel like aman
than anything that has been done.
The ndeterminato-sen law
means that when prisoner is SEN
fenced to prison he goes for n mini
mum term, which is determined by
law in accordance with the offense
committed. 1t may be from one to
three years, one to fourteen, two TO
fourteen, or two to twenty-one years.
On entering the prison the prisoner is
permitted to enter second grade--that
is, his clothing will be of the check
cred cloth. While in this grade he
will be permitted to write one letter
month and receive one visit per month
from friend. at the end of three
months, with perfect department in
this grade, the prisoner will be adj
vanced 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 re-
ceive two visits per month from his
friends. For the breaking of any
rules that have been adopted by the
management the prisoner may be re-
duced in grade; if reduced to the third
grade he will don the stripes, and
while in this clothing will not be per
mitted 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 begins to study him.
making q careful investigation as to
his previous history while on the out
side, and finding, if possible, if he has
n criminal record. If he is illiterate
he Is taken 20 the schoolroom four
evenings in the week and nine NOR this
i'm 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 m his cell
tho best library books, papers and
magazines. With such methods rs
these the authorities arc enabled TO
study each prisoner and 1T the end Of
his minimum sentence are able toiudge
as 60 the character aud habits OF the
prisoner when ho appears before the
Parole Board asking for parole.
This brings MS 60 the manner in
which the indctermiuatc sentence and
parole law is administered: when n
prisoner has served ono on TWO years
m prison, as Che case may be. and has
complied with the rules he be- permit.
ted TO come before the Parole Board.
The Boad first examines the state
mcnt made by tho trial Judge and
prosecuting attorney, they then pucs-
ton the prisoner as Co his past rec
ord ~ they find that ho has served
other sentences and that his past life
has been spent in crime, his case will
not be ioyonbly considered by tho
Board aud he witt DO ordered to re-
turn TO his work, not knowing lust
when he viii again have another
chance 20 bee heard by the Board. on