The news & observer., 1901-02-21
Commission
Senator Browns Prison Bill
FavorabIy Reported.
Governor, Attorney General and One Citizen
Constitute Board Empowered 10
Parole convic's,

The Senate Committee on Penal Insti-
tutions last afternoon decided unanimous
ly in favor of Senator Browns bill for
Prison Parole Commission. This is on
the order Of a pardon board and Senator
Brown has modelled the bill very carefully
after the Indiana and Virginia statutes.
The members of the committee were all
of the opinion that this bill was just
what the State needed and Senators
Broughton, Travis and others endorsed it.
The bill is entitled "An Act to Establish
a Prison Parole Commission" The first
section says that there shall be estab-
lished in North Carolina a commission TO
be known as "a Commission of Prison
Parole Said commission TO consist OF
three members, including His Exeellency,
the Governor the Attorney General and
one private citizen to be elected by the
General Assembly.
Section defines the duties Of the COM
mission which shall be the con-
sderation Of petitions from conyicts con-
fined in the States Prison or on any pub
lie works or in any county JAIL or work
house serving under sentence of any State
court; TO investigate the facts in the
yicts TO secure information from officials
having them in charge as to their conduct
health, ETC.. and If said commission or
any two of them shall decide that such
convict is entitled to commission Of parole
they may issue the same for such length
of time and under such conditions and
restrictions as they may determine: pro-
yided no such parole shall issue for a
longer period than twelve months, and
requiring such convicts to report at least
once each month to the proper authorities
of the institution from which they were
paroled as to their residence, conduct and
avocation Said reports are to be kept
on file at the institution and copies sent
to the board of parole
Section 8 provides for the taking into
custody again of any parole prisoner who
violates the condition Of his parole or
laws of his State.
Section provides that the Parole Com
mission may extend the parole (no single
period to exceed twelve months) from
time to time if the prisoner has conducted
himself in way to cntitle himself to
the same.
Section provides for the recommends
ton by the commission to the Governor
Of an unconditional pardon if unanimously
Of the opinion that the paroled prisoner
deserves it.
Section 6 provides for the meeting OF
the commission and the payment of per
diem to the member other than the Gov
ernor Attorney General at the rate of 81
per day for the actual number of days
served and cents per mile mileage.
Also authorizes them to employ clerk al
a salary not to exceed $500 year.
Section Z. Nothing in this act shall be
construed as interfering with existing
laws giving the Governor the right of
pardon or communication of sentence.
Senator Brown in speaking of this
measure last evening said: When l was
chairman of the peniteniary investigat-
ing committee two years ago l studied
the prison laws of nearly all the States in
the Union and | decided that If ever J
come to the Legislature again to intro
duce such bill. l believe that it will
help hundreds OF men to become good
citizens again by holding out this induce
ment. The idea is not new, it comes
from the old English system, and is in
vogue in many States now. 1t operates
like a suspended judgment"