The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-07-20
CONDUCT SHOULD
FIX DETENTION

/
York and Ohio. In Connecticut and
New Hampshire it applies to state pris-
ons alone. while Wisconsin and Penn
svlvania make it applicable only to
! their reformatories. In all the other
| states mentioned it applies to the in
mates OF both state prisons and re-
formatories There follows this eXpla
nation:
The indeterminate sentence plan
embodies as one Of its basic principles
that the individual ocender, and not
the crime shall finally determine the
length of confinement or detention that
is necessary to reform him. The prin
ciples involved in the indeterminate
sentence and the patrole system are
logically one and the same, and are in
separable. Probation (fully considered
in our last letter. or parole cannot be
scientific ally applied to the convicted
person. except through the indeter-
inmate sentence.
The last objection would seem to be
sufficiently obvious. 1t is charged
against the existing usage that the
sentences passed are of necessity
largely guessWork. The convicted man
is given at haphazard so many years
and after a certain proportion of
them has been passed within the prison
walls he may obtain his parole, pro-
vided he has not been guilty of any
serious infraction Of the rules. No
adequate standard of conduct has been
exacted; no certain answer can be
given to the question. rs it safe to
give this man his liberty?" The old
hit or miss want Of system prevails.
with infinite injustice both to the con-
Wet and to society.
Some OF US may be able to remember
being locked in the cupboard until
we were good" As a punishment it
NAV not have been the Wisest in the
world, bat it carried the condition
that with the assurance Of satisfactory
conduct would come release. This would
seem to be a sound principle. Is it
beyond the reach of human ingenuity
to work it into practice?
Deciding at Leisure.
The parole commissioners have in
flnitely greater opportunities Of reach
ing a just conclusion than an indi-
vidual judge. almost invariably over
burdened with work. can possibly en-
joy They have before them the
record of the trial, the statement of the
Judge and clerk and much other matter
that under the rules of evidence is not
admissible in court. If there have been
previous convictions they have tn,
time to ascertain that fact. They have
the mans daily record since his inn
prisonment began; if he has been paid
for his work. as he should be, they
know whether he has shown willing
ness to save in order that he may get
fresh start in life From every stand
point they are in a position to pass
judgment that shall have at least, a
chance of approximating Justice
In addition to abstract argument a
wealth Of evidence culied from those
familiar with the workings of the in
determinate sentence was brought for
ward by Colonel Griffith to support his
argument Among them he was able
to refer to Governor CumminS of Iowa,
Governor Tyler of Virginia, Governor
Mead of Washington, Major Nc
! Claughry, warden Of the federal prison
at Fort Leavenworth, Kan; Hon. Eu-
gene Smith, president of the Prison
association, New York; Hon. Z r.
! Brockway of Elmira. Charles Dudley
! Warner and many others, all of whom
| had become cOnverSant with the prac-
teal workings of the indeterminate
sentence and Endorsed it emphatically.
! Perhaps Governor Hanly of Indiana
| may be quoted most convincingly, he
cause he had opposed the change and
had become converted by facts. Under
date of September 16, 1907, he tells us:
Il entered upon the duties of the
executive office prejudiced against 1t,
! and intending to condemn and attack
it when opportunity occurred. 1t was
said the shreWd criminal would study
the prison rules and observe them, and
would therefore have no trouble in
making good with the board and in re-
gaining his liberty: that the poor IN
fortunate who was an accidental and
not a professional criminal, who lacked
advantages of education, who knew
nothing of human nature and had no
faculty for getting into the good graces
of the board. and who most of all need