The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-19
m1@nmRm ~ l1 11I I
 HELPING THE EX-CONVICT
By Frederic J. Haskin.
NHI


 At the National Prison Cong@ress @ which closes it's session today in lssn. sns mond, many questions were uot.sts reSstive to the criminal and his habits, crime and it's cure, punishment ana 1s
 modihcatfons. None of these ques. lions is of so much importance as .ns. nertaining to the life of the cohNicI ter he leaves the penitentiary' .sI- cordinR to the report naae U ,.,s-9 congress by Lieutenant-Colonel rus
 raire of the salvation Army 9h n,, T1isehsr rsed Prisoners, there are now
 within prisoh walls on, this eonttneqs nvsr f0a. .00(, human beings. Of these < rraat number viii be dtschar9ed the eohltnr wear, and the very important ouestion arises. what shall we do with them?" . ,.o,,,n
 Ever since prisons have eeep khorxl the unfortunates who nave ser Xe1 ss.,... within tgleir walls have been system hticalIy dehumantzed. and when re- leaged have become q most serious menace to society. Until the time or tha present generation the penal ih- atitutfons of thie country were places of punish ment, never places. TOT cuIlih6 crime as if it were disease ana sgeg who went out again were nara .s,,a 1no U bitter. or full of hopelessness. The hand of the world was against them. and sooner or later c9lme clalmed them againI A new era has deWnsd. @ Led nv the Salvation Army, the '. M IC. A. the Howard Associaticn' the Volunteers of America, and several private philanthropies, society Is awak- ening to the fact that the ex-convict is after all, a human being with feel mes and. perhaps. hope and ambition desnite his prison experience. Realiz- ing this, 1t means to help him on his
 See what has been done by some of the ex-convicts' friends in the past year, according to Lieutenant-Eolonel PuK'mires report The New Mexlco Society for the Friendiess met tnrty prisoners on their d1scnarge. touno tAa., en,. ployment for eight and helped sixteen in other WAYS The Society for the Friendless in Texas found employment for 200. The Prison Aid Association found employment for 237 and helped IO9 in other ways. The Central How ard Association found employment Tor over 1. .OOO and helped 1900 others. The Massachusetts Society met zvvO oh ois- charge and helped over half of these In. some way. The Prison Aid Depart ment of the SaIva ton Army of Canada met nearly 400 prisoners on discharge and found employment for 1000. The Prison Gate Mission of the eastern ter ritory of the Salvation Army of the United States. of which work Evange- line c. Booth iS eommander. found employment for 2l4 ex-prisoners. gave means to nearly 5000 and lodgings to over 1,6O0.
 The salvation Army methods are ty-
 picaI of the way in which the prison aid societies help the newly-freed man to his feet again. To 1tprisoner pass ing through the big iron gates for the first time in perhaps 'sn or fifteen years. the world would seem dreary nlace-relatfves gone, ends grown indifferent. and tio old sI sme heavy on his .heart-were it not for he letter
 he gets. which reads;
 l Dear Friend: According to present indications, you will be receiving your liberty in a few days. on which the Salvation Army takes this opportunity of congratula ting you. Now. many nien leave prison without either home or employment, and find themselves in A very bad way as a result. We hope vour prospect is brighter; If it Is not. we invite you to call at the above ad- dress. We want to help you, if you need it. Wishing you bright and happy future, we are yours sincerely
 The Prison Gate Mission of the Saliva tion Army
 Ii is card from the nearest Saliva ton Army post. Each department of the Salvation Army has its Prison Gate
 Mission. a phase of work only four years old. The duty of the Mission is to send members of the Army to the prisons to cooperate with the chap lains. where there are such. or to work
 independently. It has formed an asso- citation among prisoners, 800 strong, known as the Brighter Day League. Each member pledges himself to so- briety obedience. kindness, and clean
 speaking.
 Tn the ex-convict accepts the invita- ton of the Salvation Army. he may 20 at once to the nearest post where the welcome offered on the card is given. :. a His name, age, birthplace, ad-