The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-14
THE CASE OF THE CRIMINAL.

improve upon the old traditional meth | cd of caring for the criminal classes 1 has constantly gained momentum. This has been due not so much to the con | genital incapacity of the old board as 1t has been to the freshness of the ser vice the new board brought to the con- sideration of the States business. In other words, the old board of directors had grown accustomed to the view which then obtained and were skepti- cal of reforms proposed. The new board was without prejudice of any kind and was from the start ready to contemplate the views advanced by the prison reformers of the country. The tremendous gain that has been made since in the government of the prison fully justifies Governor Morris judgment.
 The State of Connecticut still has a long and dusty road to travel before 1t can fiatter itself that it is doing all that it should do to harness and drive more effectively the vicious and criminal classes It has, on the other hand, many citizens who are familiar with the upward movement and are ready at any moment to explain if where a call for their services is made It is this which the State of Indiana needs more than anything else. Tn some respects it has travelled farther than we have gone, but it too has a long road ahead of it if it is to. do all in its power to reduce the ter rible waste and loss from the false view society has thus far taken of its obligations in the premises. Superin- tendent Whitaker of the Indiana re- formatory is at the head of a move ment in that State to remove the evils with which that admirable institution is threatened. It is one thing, and a very necessary thing, to have a re- formatory. but reformatory which does not do what is required of it.. owing to its limitations. may become a serious thing indeed. The Indiana reformatory is where the Connecticut State prison would be had the State Pyte HI f4 tA kl,A f,a, to time, It is so overcrowded that l~ many instances two criminals arc lodged in the same cell A more par feet scheme for the education of crim inals in the major crimes could scarce. ly be conceived It resembles the 'aun- ty jail system of Connecticut, where for want of scientific plan of incar. ceration the first offender is pretty apt to graduate at the expiration ot his term fit candidate for highes crim. inal honors. The separation of crinl. inals is essential to their cure
 Another effect of the defective In. diana refornlatory situation is that the overcrowded institution compels ths rectors to parole inmates sho art not ready for such an act of conf dence on Inc part of the State. The evil of this necessity is three-fald In the first place it gIves inc, thei liberty who do not deserve it and wh, of course make bad use of it. In tn, second place it brings under unde served criticism the principle of pa role and weakens it in the popula mind. a most serious result, In tn third place it weakens also the prin ciple of the indeterminate sentence which is not permitted to work a freely as it should. The actual valu of these principles of reform in tn case of given criminal cannot be as certained unless, having been sentenc ed for an indeterminate sentence h is not to be given his parole unti he has demonstrated that in all likeli hood he is strong enough to respec the conditions which go with its en forcement. In other words, the Stat must take into consideration every de nland which grows out of the prinei ple of incarceration, or make the ia tal error of turning the instrur,,e,,. of reform into tools the use of wr1it
 is to multiply the adverse forces i contend with Buildings to conflne on class of offenders in 8 county, anothe set to confne State offenders and sti another to confnc early orfende, who show a Likelihood Of beconln cured. are of practically little use UT less they are multiplied under q SC
 rtifc system of control to meet th &u conditions Of that system Ger nectieut needs reformatory not bt 1cause it Is @ good thing theoretical to have but because it is essential [ the working out of the conplicate eroblem involved Indiana nee1s ?
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