The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-15
Dark Cell, Ball and Chain Are
Least Effective in Discipline.
TEACH SELF RESPECT.
The Key to Correct Admins
tratiOn of Prison.
Much Depends Upon Wisdom and
Judgment of Parole Board.

tor from the Fortieth district, was in
Topeka today, and delivered an ad-
dress last night at the meeting of the
Kansas Women's Press association on
The Indeterminate Sentence"
Warden Haskell said:
at was not long ago when prison
and punishment were synonymous
terms, but year by year a deeper,
larger and broader charity is felt for
every effort that tends toward the
worlds welfare and advancement. and
newer, truer and better aspirations
are taking the place of the old. The
world has learned, that while society
must be protected, nothing should be
done for revenge; nothing should be
done to needlessly humiliate or de-
grade the offender, and if prisons
and reformatOries are to be OF value,
their management should be conduct
ed with the purpose and aim of re-
storing to manhood and citizenship,
the offender; remembering that they
are dealing not alone with acts, but
with actors; not with deeds, but with
men; not with distractions. but with
human hearts, minds and lives.
'The idea once prevailed and still
exists in many places, that the only
object of imprisonment was to make
man suffer for the offense committed,
and that after he had suffered a term.
longer or shorter, taking no account
Of previous life or environments, men
tai or moral qualities, he is again
turned out in the world to prey upon
it, and again put back into prison to
go through another term like the
first, each time sinking lower mem
tally and morally.
"Prison life and discipline should
comprehend in it's fullest scope all
that has to do with the physical. men
tai moral and intellectual training
of those who are inmates. The dis
cipline of prison, the dark cell, the
ball and chain, or other forms of
punishment are but minor devices
and among the least effective, except
| in rare instances.
Discipline which teaches self-con-
troll which awakens dormant
| faculties, which educates and
strengthens the will. which teaches
se1f-reliance and with self-reliance,
| self-respect should be the prominent
| factors in prison management.
Purpose of Parole Law.
From taking into consideration
| the Individual, as much as the offense
he has committed. considering what
his past has been as well as hoping
what his future may be, has come
the indeterminate sentence and
parole law. A law whose purpose
seems
many; it's aim is not to shorten the
sentence Of a prisoner, but to keep
him in prison, whether his sentence
be long or short, until there is a
obability that he can go forth into
| the world and become a useful men,
ber Of society. whose laws he has
| broken. Inequality of sentences has
long been a blot upon criminal juris-
| prudence. Penalties for the same
| crime vary in different states; pen
alties for the same crime vary, also
| in the same state. Judges are hu-
man; while their honesty or integrity
| Of purpose is not questioned, they are
| often affected by personal bias and
the sentiment of the community. The
| convict who is the victim of an un-
Just discrimination is made so re-
bellious that reformation is impos-
sfble and revenge becomes MS motto
s'The parole law Is right in pur-
! pose and theory; right that the
offender is to be considered as much
as the offense. It's successful opera
ton, however, depends upon the wis
dom and Judgment Of those who have
charge of its execution; the parole
/ board should be composed of men OF
wide and varied experience, who
know something of life and its
temptations, men who have not only
been successful but have felt the
bitterness Of defeat; not sentimental
l theorists,
the weak, the ignorant, the vicious
and still be just.
No Hope for Degenerates.
"Many are sent to the prison wht
!. are mentally defective and morally ir
responsible. Such should not be re
leased. but should be sent to some 9th
er institution especially provided TO
them Their reformation is impossible
and their retention harmful to othe
inmates. 1t is crime against society
against the state to release those VIII
. show no sign of reformation, who ar
moral degenerates.
"The indeterminate sentence and pa
role law stand for 1eniency to first Of
| tenders, giving to those who hav
, Welded to sudden passion or tempta
tion. an opportunity for reformation
| hut it means longer terms to old of
tenders, and for those In whom ther
is no hope of reformation; why SHOULD
they be discharged at all?
"The hospitals for the insane do no
| discharge their patients until they ar
in condition to mingle with the worl
again. and those afflicted with contagi
| Gus disease are connneo until all oan
ger is past
. "Why should those whose lives hav
. | been one long warfare against society
| he allowed to continue the struggle
Why should there be an end to thel
confinement? Nothing should be don
for revenge. nothing for hate; thei
| I,hvsical comfort would be provide
for. and all that is possible done 70
their mental and moral improvement
, for the time is past when we must con
fine our attention to the crime and tn
nenalty for. the crime, but we mus
take note of the crirainals also; societ
has rights The individual has dutie
| to perform and if he continually neg
5 lects or refuses to do his part and
a menace to order and law, then soci
l ETY., the state, has a right to remov
him, so that he can no longer tran
gress, or set at naught the laws sh