Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-26
|ND[|[RN|NA|E
SENTENCE Law
Important Measure Now Before
the State Senate For Final
Action
INSTANCE OF THE MEASURE
Would Change the Anamosa Penitenti-
airy to a Reformatory and Make It
Possible to Sentence Certain Glasses
of Criminals For Indefinite Periods,
Release Depending on Behavior, Etc.
[By Ora williams.l

.-->~~~AeS'1
| Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, March 26.--The inde-
! terminate sentence law will be taken
| up again in the morning for consid-
Grafton in the senate. 1t was discuss
ed Friday by Senator Saunders and
| Senator Molsberry and Senator Mols-
berry Will tomorrow morning conclude
his argument against the bill. 1t is ex-
pected that vote will be reached on
the bill some time during the day The
bill Is comprehensive measure and is
IN line with the action taken in many
otner states in the prison reform
movement to give the prisoner every
opportunity possible to reform and be-
come an honest citizen. Besides the
indeterminate sentence provision it
establishes parole board and turns
the Anamosa penitentiary into a re-
formatory. AS the bill is one of the
most important pieces of legislation
before this general assembly it is here
given in substance section by Sec
| ton:
Section l. Changes the Anamosa
| penitentiary to THE Reformatory," and
to be the reformatory department of
the state penitentiary.
Section 2. Males between ages of
16 and 30 convicted after July 4, 1905,
who have not been previously con-
victed of some felony shall be sent to
'Anamosa except in cases of life i'm
prisonment or treason.
Section g. Criminal insane shall be
sent to ,Anamosa.
Section 4. Males confined at Ana
mosa may be transferred to Fort Mad
lison on order Of the board OF control
for violation OF rules Of the reforma-
tory or if in the opinion Of the board
| the person is not hopeful subject for
lreformatory treatment.
| Section s.. Males committed to Ana
mosa prior too July 4, 1905, shall be
kept there except persons convicted
ofssmurder in the first degree or life
1 Imprisonment.
Section g. When there is room at
Anamosa the board may transfer from
Fort Madison we'll behaved and prom
Using convicts
/ Section L.. Inmates at the reform
atory can be employed to complete
prison, contracts but after the COM
pletion of such as now exist prison.
I ers can. be employed only on state ac-
count and such employmsnt shall be
for teaching them Useful trades tend
ing to their moral development.
| Section s. Provides for records for
the use Of the parole board.
| Section 9. After July 4, 1906, for
crimes committed after that, date
| courts shall not fix the duration Of the
sentence and sentences shall not ex-
coed the maximum term fixed by law,
but for felonies the court may impose
the lighter sentence.
Section 10. Provides for the APP
| pointment by the governor with the
advice and consent of the senate of q
| parole board Of three members, not
more than two of whom shall be from
the same political party, and one Of
whom shall be a lawyer. to serve for
one, three and five years, and their
successors to be appointed for six
years They shall receive $40 day for
time spent and expenses and not to
exceed $1,000 year. They shall be
given offices In the capitol and may
employe secretary at salary not to
exceed $4,000 a year for full time and
other help if needed. They shall hold
at least four, meetings each year.
Section II. Authorizes warrants on
the treasury for expenses of the Of
flee.
Section -. Authorizes travelling
expenses for secretary to visit peni-
tentiaries.
Section il3. Conditions under which
payment is made for expenses and
salaries.
Section IA. Parole board shall form
I ulate rules under which prisoners
shall be paroled and shall have power
to retake criminals who violate the
terms of their parole and the order
to retake such prisoners shall have the
same force and effect as any other
criminal process and peace officers are
bound to enforce them and shall re-
ceive the same fee as sheriffs for such
work No person can be released be-
fore the maximum sentence has been
served unless they have satisfactory
arrangements for employment for six
months.
|. Section 15. After a prisoner has
served acceptable not less than six
months of his parole the board may,
after investigation, recommend to the
governor his full discharge from his
sentence.
Section 1s. The act shall not impair
or infringe the governors right under
the constitution to grant paroles or
pardons.
Section II, and the remaining sec
ltions of the bill provide for carrying
the bill into effect, repeating acts ana
parts of acts in conflict with the Dill,
furnishing prisoners released doth
ing and money, turning over to the
narole board all correspondence to
the governor on the parole of prison
ers. and providing that the board may
assist prisoners in getting employment.
1t is expected that vote on the
bill providing for an insurance inves-
tigation will be reached this week
also.
A resolution was proposed in the
house on Saturday by Robinson, look
ing to have the clerk report each day
the number of bills not acted upon, so
that the members might know what is
ahead When 1t was explained that
this was not practicable the resolution
was withdrawn. But there are now less
than seventy-flve bills IN the possess
sion of house committees not acted