Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-09
The Parole Of Prisoners.

Edward p. Mayo of Watervile. one
of the inspectors of the Maine prisons,
has been investigating this subject of
probation, parole and indeterminate
sentence TO which those interested i'll
reforming existing methods of dealing
with offenders against the laws are
now giving much attention throughout
the country. He finds much in the
plan to commend itself, though he
| realizes that it must be handled with
great care and discretion or more harm
| than good will result. While on IL trip
| through the middle West recently he
took occasion to inquire OF prison Of
| ticials in several states What their eX
perience had been with paroling priS-
oners, and is able to report that with
out a single exception the testimony
was decidedly strong in. favor of the
| indetermnate sentence and the parole
Of RI. sonels, with the exception of those
the Journal may get better idea of
what the plan is and how it works, we
| Will quote from Mr.. Mayo's letter:
| Warden Murphy, who is at the head
| of the penitentiary at Joliet, ILL.,, and
| who, by the way is president of the
Association of Prison Wardens, told
me that he was heartily in favor of
| the parole law, as he found it most
salutary in it's effect on the entire body
| of prisoners, and he added that if the
results were even fifty per cent less
| satisfactory than they have proven to
| be, he should even then be strongly in
flavor of it.
| Il cannot shake of the feeling that
our State is far behind other states in
| this direction. The plan of the system
of parole is especially designed to give
a man who has erred and fallen into
the hands of the law, a chance to re-
deem himself without serving the on
tire length of his sentence. To make
sure that his repentance is sincere and
lasting the remainder of his term of
imprisonment is held over him and
that he may not forget this very essen
tial fact. nc is obliged to report from
time TO time, and this has a most salu-
tary effect in making his reformation
permanent, sure and certain.
The fact that the State owes the
prisoners something is too often lost
| sight of. 1t is not enough to simply
feed and Clothe tho convict, that is
but the beginning Of the states duty
to man who has gone wrong. First
! he should be taught To work, and TO
labor understanuingly. This treat
mcnt will I'll him with courage to try
again. and attempt to make good what
he has lost, and he wifi soon get a
clear view of his error and the sin he
has committed against society and
will naturally be anxious to undo the
evil rs far forth rs he is able, should
he be given Il reasonable opportunity
Even though he fails and is returned
to prison. his fellow prisoners will not
be slow to see that the state is trying
to do all it can to help and encourage
them to better line of living. They
cannot fail to be better prisoners for
this thought, and when finally released
will get back into the line of good cit
izenship the sooner.
This at least, is what has happened
IN other states and why not in Maine?
The best thing about it all is that the
| Improvement in the working of the pa
role plan is Very marked and is con-
stantly on the increase, that is. tho
percentage of prisoners paroled that
make good and do not have to he re-
turned. increases each year. This fact
tells the story. if there was not another
word to say in favor of this system
i feel confident that the more the
matter is examined. and the true mer-
ITS OF the system understood, the more
anxious our people will be to have il
put IL operation in our State"
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