Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-25
WOULD BANISH ALL
HOPELESS CRIMINALS
WARDEN OF PENITENTlARY ADJ
VANcEs THEORY
Woman's Press Association That
Moral Degenerates Should
Not Be Free

1OREhA, April 24.-'Many are sent
to prison who are mentally defective
and morally irresponsible. Such should
not be released, but should be sent to
some other institution especially pro-
vided for them. Their reformation is
impossible, and their retention harmful
to other inmates. 1t is a crime against
society, and against the state, to re-
lease those who show no sign of re-
formtion-who are moral degenerates.
"The indeterminate sentence and pa
role law stand for leniency to first Of
tenders, giving to those who have yield
ed to sudden passion or temptation an
opportunity for reformation, but it
means longer terms to old offenders,
and for those in whom there is no hope
of reformation; why should they be dis
charged at all?"
The Indeterminate Sentence
In these words perpetual Punishment
from society was prescribed by Ward
en- Haskell from the Kansas state peni-
tentiary for the hopeless criminal, be-
fore the Kansas Woman's Press associ-
alton. He spoke on THE Indeter-
inmate Sentence.
The measure is often nfisunder-
Stood" he said. Its aim is not to short
en- the sentence of a prisoner. but to
keep him in prison, whether his SEN
tence be long or short, until there is a
probability that he can go forth into
the world and become a useful member
of society, whose laws he has broken
Inequality of sentences has long been
a blot upon criminal jurisprudence.
penalties for the same crime vary
in different states penalties for the
same crime vary, also in the same
state. Judges are human; while their
honesty or integrity of purpose is not
questioned they are often affected by
ersonal bias and the sentiment of the
community The convict who is the
victim of an unjust discrimination is
made so rebellious that reformation is
impossible and revenge becomes his
motto. The parole law is right in pur-
pose and theory; right that the often
der is to be considered as much as the
offense'
Returning to the prisoner in whom
there is no hope of reformation the
warden said:
THE hospitals for the insane do not
discharge their patients until they are
in condition to mingle with the world
again, and those afflicted with conta-
gious diseases are confined until all
danger is past. Why should those
whose lives have been one long war
fare against society be allowed to con-
tinue the struggle? Why should there
be an end to their confinement?
NOlIllnS SIOQlQ D6 dOll6 lOi lt-
venge, nothing for hate; their physical
comfort should be provided for, and all
that is possible done for their mental
and moral improvement for the time
is past when we must confine our at
tention to the crime and the penalty
for the crime, but we must take note
of the criminal also; society has
rights. The individual has duties to
perform, and if he continually neg
lects or refuses to do his part and is
a menace to order and law, then So
ciety-the state-has a right to re-
move him, so that he can no longer
transgress, or set at naught the laws
she has enacted for her own protec-
tion and safety"
Other speakers at the Press club
were RMS. Cora G.. Lewis of the
Kinsley Graphic. Mrs. May Belleville
Brown, Salina Mrs. Emma T. Wood,
Topeka; Mrs. Minnie T. Morgan, Cot
tonwood Falls; Miss Lila Day Mon
roe, Topeka club member; Mrs. Mat
tie Toothaker Kimball, Manhattan Re-
publican: Mrs. Jessie Mckenzie
Walker, Kansas City, Kan; Mrs E. E.
Forter, Marysville.
The club elected the following officers
for next year: Mrs. L. A. King.
Plaineville, president; Miss Martha
Beck, Holton, vice president; Mrs.
Matte Bishop Holton. secretary; Mrs.
Jessie Mackenzie Walker, Kansas City,
treasurer