Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-07
STATE PRISON BOARD
ITSELF BREAKS LAW
OBSTACLES PLACED IN WAY
OF GRANTING PAROLES
Appalling Number of Recidivists
Shows How Hard Conditions Are
for Men Just Released
from Jail

In addition to adopting rules that are in di-
rect violation Of the intent of the California
statutes, as mentioned in The Herald vestar-
Gay, and compelling all prisoners (except Iffers1
70 serve half of their time before being eligi-
Ole for parole which is against the state
laws requirement, which names as the neriod
enc year, the state board Of prison directors
mas utterly ignored the law creating 1t That
la" requires the boards members to meet
every month The board meetings in reality are
sometimes six months apart, according to the
convenience of its members and worse still
IL has adopted a rule requiring four members
10 oe present before any application for parole
can De considered although a quorum of three
is ali that is required to spend hundreds of
thousands of dollars of the peoples money.
Up to the last session of our IegislatlIre
about nine-tenthS of the state prisoners were
liberated at the expiration of their sentences
instead of being paroled. Few left San Ouen-
TIN without feeling its cruelties and almost un-
oearable humiliations, practiced for over fifty
years Dy oftlcers, who are sadly in, need of
training as the offenders are of discipline
-The helpless prisoners after being long fed
on prison slops and forced to endure exposure
IN cold and rainy weather., with their minds
and will power dwarfed or paraIyzed bv the
treatment meted out by heartless cruel and
whimsical overseers are indeed in a pitiable
condition to face the world. Out of nanv as
an Illustration, 1 will cite but one case
On cold day in the fall of 1906, an intelli-
gent looking young man. under 80 years OF
age had served a ten-year sentence and was
TO be liberated the next day. He had no trade
o. relatives in this state and his S. could not
take him very far, so L expressed my sympa-
thy for him. He grew confidential, and evil
IDENTIFY had in mind the horrible tales told by
recidivists forced back to crime by san Fran
cisco police officers, and sadly pictured his
own case somewhat like this:
breads Being Jobbed Back
THE officer over me in the jute mill where
work hates me, but do my task we'll and
never give cause for punishment so he lets
me alone. The upper yard officer who attends
to the cells and my lookup has an imaginary
spite against me- but he can't take nv mat
tress and blanket from my cell or prevent INV
meals so long as l keep from breaking prison
rules, But tomorrow, when 1 freed, what
can do to avoid being jobbed back to prison
and where shall I go? Please give me some
word of encouragement"
gave him some good advice He left San
Quentin next morning with S. in money and a
brand on his body in the shape of a suit of
clothes, costing the state $2.95, which every
policeman and detective knew.
If there be time when an unfortunate man
needs a helping hand it is then. He is not al
lowed to see a state newspaper while in prison.
consequently he does not know where to turn
to look for work. and that $5 is not going to
last very long.
He emerges from the bastiIe, and as have
said before, physically and mentally handi-
capped. He is indeed pariah. He is refused
work, and if successful in getting a Job, men
refuse to work with him. With health shat
tered and courage gone he has a shifty bearing.
bitter distrust of fellowmen, and the loss
OF ambition to win back place in life He is
frequently subjected to open scorn and always
to secret mistrust. Mankind shuns hinl-de-
tectives and police watch and hound him. If
a crime is committed he is arrested on sus-
picion and frequently locked up for days or
weeks without evidence.
United for Struggle
This lack of proper training unquestionably
accounts for the unprecedented crop of recid-
twists in our state prson-361 out of 1920 If
wa. had an adult reformatory in this state this
class Of first Offenders would be taught some
trade, and in other respects be prepared to
enter society again.
Some say that our labor unions will oppose
such a reformatory a. is contemplated in as
sembly bill No $50. l have every reason to
believe the reverse. 1 sent copy of my first
lecture (Which suggests turning San Quentin
into a reformatory) to 125 secretaries of differ
ent labor councils in Los Angeles and vicinity,
and received some very favorable replies and
not one unfavorable answer. do not believe
that any intelligent representative of organized
sbor in this country be found to oppose
such a worthy object, provided the product
can be handled that it does not injure free
labor And as it is being done successfully
in fifteen other states, why not in California? {?
GRIFFITH J. GRIFFITH.