The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-02-05
WOULD ABOLISH PARDONS
JAILOR HENRY FAVORS PAROLE
SYSTEM INSTEAD.
Thinks Prison Should be Moved Nearer
Government Quarries-Matters for
The Consideration of the Legislature.

Among the various matters which
will be brought to the attention of the
Legislature are two measures affecting
the prison system of the territory. one
affects the tax paying community and
the other the prisoners themselves.
In his bienniah report to the Attorney
General recently, Tailor William Henry
made a number of suggestions which
he thought should be put into force in
the conduct of the prison. The most
material is the removal of the Jail. Mr..
Henry thinks that the present place
should be disposed of and the prison
removed to some other portion of the
city in order to be adjacent to the stone
quarries. The prisoners who are SER
wing sentences for penal crimes are at
present employed in the stone quarries
and if the Jail could be located closer
to these nlaces than at present it
would be far more convenient for all
concerned.
Another change in the employment of
the men should be made and in addi-
ton to the force working i'm the quar-
ries getting out stone Mr.. Henry thinks
it would be an excellent idea for some
of them to be taught stone cutting
They would not impose to any great
extent upon outside labor and moreover
the stone so prepared by the convicts
could be used by the government in the
construction of buildings and in street
work.
With the removal of the prison, Mr..
Henry would also favor the acquisition
of a larger tract of land than the pres
ent site now occupies One of the adj
vantages of this would be that some
of the prisoners could be put to work
gardening and the various vegetables
could be raised by the prison people,
thus making the institution more self
supporting.
But the most vital change which Mr.
Henry suggests with regard to the
prisoners is the abolition of the pardon
system. In the place of this he would
substitute parole system. Only in eX-
treme cases would he favor the full
pardoning of a man. When pardons
were granted full and careful conside-
ration should be given he thinks to the
causes which led the prisoner to COM
NIT the crime. Mr.. Henry is very char
liable in his estimation of his wards
and he realizes that in many instances
many of them are not at heart bad peo-
pie but have through unfortunate cir
cumstances been driven to do wrong.
One of his arguments In favor of the
paroling system is that the prisoner
will be less apt to indulge i'm crime for
he will realize that at the first offence
he can be taken back to prison without
any regular process of law. This
knowledge will act as a check upon
him and, so Mr.. Henry thinks keep the
parOlled man better citizen.
Some other changes are necessary
Mr.. Henry believes but they are prin-
cipally affairs connected with the de-
tail of prison routine. He is not in
favor of the territory putting the men
at work in manufacturers He thinks
it would not pay in the first place and
in the second it would be unfair to
those who are not in prison. Although
food is considerable higher now than
formerly Mr.. Henry thinks that the
prison can by careful economy, be run
within the regular appropriation of
$4,000. If any of these recommended
tions are brought officially to the atten-
ton of the Legislature however. it will
probably be done by the attorney gen.
eral Is Mr.. Henry does not expect to
send any communication to that body
The health of the inmates is now very
good anC the place is a model of clean
Illness and neatneSS.