The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-11-15
Observation-Disclosures
Radical Suggestions Made by
Roland B. MOIineux.
CLAIMS CRIMINAL LAW FAILS

should Aim 70 Benefit Prisoners, He
Says, Not soeisty--No Fixed Period
Fer Sentences - Criminals 70 be
Freed When Deemed Fit For Release
BY . Court Of Rehabilitation.
Instead Of shutting up prisoners to
protect society and releasing them
worse than before society should un-
dertake TO reform them as quickly as
possible. II Roland D. Molineux's con-
tsntion In q remarkable article in tho
current issue Of Charities.
Mr. MOllneux would have criminals
sentenced for no fixed period and re-
leased only when 1T for release by
judge and jury n a court Of rehabili.
tAtion." Some Of his striking sentences
follow:
Ths United States spends 81 .00o. 600.
600 \ year to achieve failure. Annu.
ally II spends S5O0.OO0.OOO more on
fruitiess and faFcical contest with
crime than II does on all la works OF
charity, religion and education.
Our criminal law aims 10 benefit 40.
ciety. In this II falls. II should aim
10 benefit the criminal. In this II could
succeed. We endeavOr to cure crime
by . system childishly futile. As we'll
might we sentence the Iunatic 10 three
months IN an asylum or the victim Of
smallpox to thirty days in the hospi.
tai. AZ the end OF these periods to turn
them loose whether mad or sane, cured
or stiil diseased
Conventional prisons are universities
wherein ara given postgraduate courses
IN crime. Because be knows something
0f evil we send q man where he will
learn all OF evil.
Civilization win have advanced
Step when FOR the first time a prisoner
appears IN that court Eof rahabliita-
tiOnI.
He tells the story Of this convict's
life previous 20 imprisonment and then
shows BY witnesses all he has since
accomplished. Tho warden testlfes TO
his perfect discipline: teacher 20 his
having learned correctly to speak, read
and write tho English language; pos
eibly he has even mastered d foreign
tongue; also he is now expert In kesp
ing books o. be has worked In the va
rious shops Of the prison. and instruct
Ors pronounce him skilled mechanic;
also n h shown thar deposited IN the
prison treasury are hi! savings, the
state having paid him for his labor,
Now. II son restore him 10 citizenship
he win almost certainly prove worthy
Of Il, hecause he has won II by the
sweat % his brow, the toll Of his brain
and the intensity of his purpose.
The new criminal code would no
more recognize the logic or justice or
Christianity % "llfe for life" than
Il would the sams qualities IN intiict-
ing mayhem as the punishment for
mayhem.
There would he recognition Of the
fact that there arc two great Glasses OF
murders, those Of the heart and those
Of the brain. What gulf between
tho twoi Love. pride. self respect.
these are among the qualities. good IN
themselves. that have often led 10
murder Ii II Just 10 treat the man
carried away by such motives exactly |
az we treat the man who has killed |
another for gainf
The court Of rehabilitation would |
rarely release the murderer who had |
plotted and calculated even after long
Imprisonment, II might give another
chance 70 him that had killed IN anger
and with provocation.
The objection may DO raised that
this system makes II comparatively
easy TO set out OF prison. Possibly Il
does. But II also II makes II hard TO
get back into prison il not greater
good Accomplishment And that Is az.
actiy what II docs, for the liberated
man fully realizes how terribly u sec
ond ofenae and conviction would count
against him,