Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-01
TIE PAROLE system
Report Of the Penetentiary Ward
ems Show That Few Paroles
are Revoked.
Less Than q Dozen Returnsl !, s
Having Violated Conditions
of Release.
Both the Wardens Favor the
System Statistics From
Their Reports.

/
Des Moines, Sept. 1.-During the
year ended June 80 last there was re-
leased from the two penitentiaries of
the state of Iowa total of seventy
\ five convicts on parole, or what
amounts to the same thing in iowa.
the temporary suspension ofsentence by
the governor under conditions. OF
| these thirty-four were released from
/ Fort Madison and forty-one from Ana
mosa. Notwithstanding this large
number of releases on parole not doz-
| en- were returned for having violated
the conditions of the parole, and of
these most of them had been released
previous to the year. Governor Shaw
any of Iowa's governors. He was OUT
i spokenly in favor Of the system and
gave great deal of his time to con-
lsideration of paroles. Governor Cum
Minis believes, on the other hand, that
the primary purpose of punishment for
the law violator should never be lost
! sight of and he is inclined to issue pa
roles only in extreme cases. The period
covered in the reports of the two war;
dens was half in that of Shaw's ad-
ministration and half in Cummins' adj
|ministration, but it is safe to estimate
| that three-fourths OF the entire num-
ber of paroles mentioned We're signed
by Shaw. The wardens of both peni-
| tentiaries are stout advocates of the
parole system and in their reports
make this fact plain. Warden Jones,
! of Fort Madison. does not directly dis
cuss the matter in his report. but War
| den, Hunter, of Anamosa, in his report
says:
Included in the number discharged
for the year are forty-one conditional
rardons or paroles. and out of this
number one only was returned for vio-
lating the conditions of his release. and
enc was returned by request. How
! ever. five others We're returned during
the year for violating their paroles, but
these had been released prior to June
| 80, 1901. OF the number received DUR
ing the year on commitments, 14S We're
received for the first term, twenty
nine for the second term, four for a
third term, and three for a fourth term:
or 18 per cent of the whole number re-
ceived on commitments were for a sec
ond term or more. Comparing the
number OF prisoner returned for vio-
lation of their paroles two only, and
one of these by request, while neither
had returned to crime. with the num-
ber received on commitments for the
same period for second, third and
fourth terms. thirty-six, or 1s per cent
of the number received, the result is
indeed gratifying-an argument in fa-
vor of the parole--and justifies the
recommendations that 1 made in my
last bienial report for a parole law and
lindeterminate sentence. Conditional
release under surveillance is the final
test of a cOnyict's fitness for liberty as
shown by the above comparison"
The total number of commitments at
each of the prisons for the year was
substantially the same. Warden Jones,
of Fort Madison. in his biennial report,
made the year before, said in regard to
the parole system: "The parole law,
as administered by the governor, is
proving wise provision. While all
men paroled may not live up to the
conditions of the restrictions placed up
on them, experience thus far shows the
percentage returned to be very small.
Governor Shaw has exercised great
precaution and good judgment in ad-
ministering the parole law as applied
in this state, and much good has re-
suited therefronl. I wish to again ex-
mr. in fo nf ~ ho 1efo q
nate sentence law, in connection with
a parole law that will work in harmony
with the conditions governing the
same"
The board of control as a body and
the members individually are also of
this opinion, but the legislature last
winter, after debating the bill for a,
modified form OF the indeterminate
sentence plan in connection with a
modern system of paroles, rejected the
bill entire.
The report of Warden Hunter shows
that the total number of convicts re-
ceived at Anamosa in the year was 2OS.
OF these there We're twenty-three illit-
crate. lis addicted to tobacco 40 10 in
toxicating liquors and twelve to opium,
two had been divorced, fifteen had
been widowed, siXty-eight were mar.
ried and lis single; seventy three were
natives of Iowa and only twenty-five
foreign born; six We're black men and
six black women. The religious train
ing or association of these admitted
were given as follows: Catholic thirty
nine. Luthern eleven, Methodist
nine, Baptist seven, Presbyterian three,
two, Christian two,
Mormon, United Brethren and Reform
ed one each. The average age of those
admitted was % years and months.
The oldest was SO and the youngest 16.
There are thirty-eight serving life
sentences, of which three We're received
during the past year. Four We're re-
ceived who are under sentence of death.
forty eight of those received committed
crimes against persons and the same
number crimes against public order and
decency and 104 crime against proper
ty. Nobody tried to escape from the
prison during the year. The popula-
tion of the prison has been steadily de-
eli, ing for five years, from 626 In 1898
Il Et.12 now. There was loss of thirty