The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-17
TREATMENT OF THE CRIMINAL.

In an address before the National Prison
Congress, which has been in session the
past week in Kansas City, Superintendent
FELTON,, of the Chicago Bridewell, made an
address, in which he declared that crime is
on the increase, for which he assigned sew
eral causes. The chief cause is the l~eniency
with which people generally regard viola
lions of the law. Another cause is that pro-
fessional criminals nave become vastly
more skillful. The ingenuity Of the law
breaker has kept pace with the inventive
ness Of the law-abiding. There is much
truth in what Superintendent FELTON, said.
There has been a growing leniency toward
those who are habitual criminals when
they fall into the clutch of the law. No
sooner is a professional criminal, that is,
the man who resorts to fraud to get money
or to robbery or commits crimes which
make human life insecure than his friends
begin to move the earth if not heaven to
secure his release. 1t often seems that the
greater the offense of the prisoner the more
strenuous are the efforts made TO secure
his freedom. His friends can obtain petit
ions from the best people, n not unfre-
quently much unreasoning sympathy is
worked up in his behalf. If the executive
Of a State should hear at length ali the
cases for pardon brought to him, he would
have little time for other duties. This sort
Of sympathy makes the criminal appear a
victim of environment and circumstance.
and, consequently, to be pitied, when, as a
matter Of fact, he is a lawbreaker from
choice, with a determination TO pursue 1t
as a profession. 1t is because there is a
considerable number Of men who look to
the committing of crime as the means Of
livelihood that the professional criminal
has become an expert.
Thus far those who give attention to
criminology will agree with Superintendent
FELTON,, but when he assails the parole sys-
tenn as an abuse, declaring, in effect. that
the only good criminal is a dead criminal,
and favors the refusal Of any mercy to
those who are convicted of crime on the
ground that the criminal is the habitual
enemy of society. many will not agree
with him. A large number Of violators of
the criminal laws are the victims of cir
cumstance. They have not been taught any
useful employment, hence they are often
idle and aimless and the occasional victims
of intoxicating liquors. Need Of the neces-
saries Of life or evil association lead them
to a first offense. They are sent to the Re
formatory in this State on an indetermi-
nate sentence. When the officials are con-
WINGED that such a man can be released on
parole with a prospect that he will lead a
decent life, it is given him. The fact that
Of one thousand men paroled within a Civ
en- period by the Jacksonville Reforma-
tory less thar fifty have been returned
proves more for the parole system than
any unsupported declaration against it.
Doubtless the improved conditions which
afford greater opportunities for employ
ment nave contributed largely to this sat
isfactory result. The greater opportunity
for employment and the securing Of 1t
proves that a large majority Of these men
prefer labor to being professional crimi-
nails.
The conditions are changed when it comes
to men who are offenders beyond a second
time. They are either professional crimi-
nails or detectives born to be criminals.
Imprisonment viii not cause them TO aban-
don the propensity TO commit crime. Mere
Imprisonment does not cure the criminal.
Indeed. 1t is release from Imprisonment
which causes the reform OF many persons
sent 10 the reformatories. After a criminal
has served two sentences and appears in
sent to prison for life. for the reason that
as soon as he is set at liberty he makes