Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-10

sentence and the parole system are
logically one and the same and are
inseparable. Probation or parole can
not scientifically be applied to the con-
victed person except through the in
determinate sentence California is
far behind other states in modern
methods and the lawmakers during this
session of the legislature should rem
edy some of these defects.
A study of codes on the one hand
and of sentences on the other reveals
an amazing amount of contradiction
and rank injustice in the application of
penalties. For this inequality and in
justice the indeterminate sentence fur
nished the necessary relief. Instead Of
the codemaker or judge declaring when
a man shall come out of prison, 1t puts
the main responsibility of deciding that
question with the prisoner himself.
How can any judge, though he be
learned and las wise as Solomon" In
the brief space of time usually allotted
by a trial court, determine accurately
and justly the time it would take to
reform the prisoner? Is it possible un-
der these unfavorable environments
with such limited opportunity to study,
weigh and analyze the prisoners char
acter, to measure his stature mentally,
! physically and morally and pronounce
| just sentence? Can 1t be done Except
in rare instanceS) without working a
great injustice? Then why send him to
prison for fixed term? 1t may take
but a short time to cure him, or it may
take lifetime. How is that judge to
| know? Society demands that he be
cured or permanently secured; but pun
ishment as such has no place in the
! Christians plan of regeneration. The
! indeterminate sentence will eventually
compel an entire change in prison
methods.
The indeterminate sentence provides
for commitment to prison the same
way as an insane person who is sent
to the hospital for the insane until
cured. This has been done in other
states and can be done here with COM
parative justice to ALL The prison
should be prepared for it and properly
managed and it's interests controlled
by a competent supervising board, be-
fore whom each prisoner shall appear
personally from time to time as occa-
sion warrants, to be heard in his own
behalf. The board in control should
have the power of court of rehabili-
tation and in Justice to and for the
better protection of society every pris-
oner should be tried by that body be-
fore being liberated.
Corral of Horrors
NlOOCIIl lIlSiliOO0 anu A>dlllOIllAd nav
always been strangers, as is most evil
dent in that corral of horrors known
as San Quentin prison.
Warden ]. w. Tompkins constantly
reminded his flock that they were "sent
there to be punished" and when ne
ruled over the 1900 helpless prisoners
confined behind the gloomy walls Of
San Quentin many sad scenes We're en-
acted. To lay the foundation properly
| for one will affirm that which is gem
orally conceded, that a prisoner is not
| totally depraved if he has love in his
heart, and the, great majority Of the
| San Quentin prisoners showed their
! love by decorating their little homes
with photographs or pictures of some
| loved one (allowed them under former
management, and some would have
several members of their family hung
up in neat little frames. Some prison
ers would lovingly point out these pic
lures and say: This is picture of my
dear father and mother or This was
my good wife, or daughter" or my
sweet sister, and sometimes add, land
| this one was my loving sweetheart"
etc., etc. Many prisoners are serving
long sentences, nearly 200 being life
termers, and many of them keep their
| little homes (cells) as neat and inVit-
Ing e1S pOSS1O1Cy llAc~l1y 111O AAbbAO OOAOS
with locks attached, in which to keep
little things that to them were cher
| ished treasures.
One morning when the prisoners were
all at work, Warden Tompkins called
| his men together and ordered them to
"go through" every cell and take every
picture, frame and all, and also every
box and all books Except library
books and everything else that would
be near and dear to the hearts Of the
unfortunate prisoners and place them
in the fire.
A great bonfire was kept burning for
several days until he supposed every
| thing was consumed. The bonfire was
in full view of the laundry in the mid
die yard, and one day as 1 passed by
an old prisoner, who was forced to
feed the flames, called me, and, after
making sure that no one saw him,
handed me book, saying, For God
| sake, colonel, save this Bible" and
did so, and had the book rebound in
Los Angeles. 1t bears the name of a