Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-06
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lature that the three measures were just
and should be enacted into law? The
answer Is that after carefully gathering
the statistics contained therein which
were found in the state library at Sacra-
mento, the following statement was pre-
pared by me and copy was placed be-
fore each and every member, This was
the only argument used and not dis
honest dollar was spent in its advocacy,
notwithstanding insinuations to the con-
trary. The following was the statement
and statistics, supplied over my own sig
nature and. as 1T will agaln be used for
the next session, it is now published in
full:
The Statement
Much has been said and published
about state prisons and reformatories. The
naked facts, however, having bearing
on such institutions in this state are
what legislator very naturally requires
in order to arrive at a correct understand
ing SO that a remedy can safely be ap-
piled in California.
There is a disproportionate increase in
crime in this state. Statistics show that
for the past six years the increase In
crime here has been about "a per cent
while Minnesota, with the same popula-
tion, increased only Is per cent. Our
state prison population aggregates now
about $500, while that of Minnesota only
724. and the state of Illinois, with 5,00O,-
900 inhabitants, has less than 240O sucn
prisoners. Statistics from eastern and
other middle west states compared, all
show a strong proportion against thls
state.
> "All yersed in modern penology will
concede that the class of crimes COM
mitted in those states are alike COM
mitted in California and that our Grim
inal population is neither better nor
worse than in other states. Then, why
this dsproportion as state above?
"Prison laws and methods are vastly
ahead of ours in nearly all the follow
ing states, all of them within the last.
twelve years having passed new OF
added to their parole laws: oregon,
South Dakota, Indiana' virginia, AT
IONA. New York, Ohio, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Kansas. Michigan, Ken
lucky. Washington, Illinois and Idaho.
i'In addition to the improved condi-
tions made by the parole system In the
above named states, the indeterminate
sentence law is now in force in some
form in all the following states: New
Hampshire, Connecticut, Colorado, Hi
nois, Indiana. Kansas, Massachusetts,
Michigan, MINES ota, New Jersey, New
York. Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylva-
mia. Moreover, the modern physical
and mental training afforded in many
of the institutions in those states, pat
termed mainly after Elmira, N. T., has
not reached California yet. The prin-
cipal causes for this large percentage
in our state prisons and the practical
remedy under present conditions might
prove beneficial to all concerned.
"From personal knowledge and OBJ
servation at San Quentin prison during
the past two years ] am forced to the
conclusion that our system Is largely
to blame Instead of being beneficially
instructed San Quentin is positively
school for crime. where the youth of
from IA to 21 daily and constantly come
in contact with hardened and degener-
ate criminals. Worse still is the sys-
tenn in practice by the board of prison
directors for the past fourteen years,
which dumps about nine-tenths of San
Ouentin's liberated prisoners at the ex-
piration OF the term of sentence instead
of by parole into the city of San Fran
cisco.
Branded and Turned Out
"a great majority Of these men, hav-
ing been long fed on prison slops, are
physically run down, leave San Quen-
tin with only So and brand on the
body in the shape of a suit of clothes
costing $2.95. which every policeman
and detective knows. II there be
time when a deserving man needs a
helping hand it is then; he was not al
prison, consequently does not know
that s5 is not going to last very long.