The San Francisco call., 1909-02-14

have a chance BY good oenavior ne
can work up to the second class and
then may become a first division prts-
oner.
One would imagine that despair
would be depicted only on the face OF
a man mounting the gallOws to death.
1t is not so With staring eyes. open
wide, face set in tense lines he totters
after the chanting priest to the trap.
1t is not despair, but animal terror
that marks his dazed challSy face For
a week his guards and the priest have
been keying him up for the last terri
BILE moment. Religion has comforted
and has promised him life after death
He believes and has a great uncOn-
duerable hope. But in the noisy Jute
mill. the prison yard. in solitary con-
finement where a scant six feet Is lefc
for exercise there is found despair;
il is the despair of felOns who nave
served previous terms Many are yet
law breakers. not criminals. The rea-
son for their return is mOnotonously
alike: Il tried to work. but the police
got on to me and told my boss. Then
7 was fired" The remainder OF the
downward slide is read every day.
According TO the law. these men can
not hope for a parole. less for pardon.
Usually they have years before them
still before the expiration OF their
term Even with the credits for good
behavior to shorten the time they viii
be old men before liberty will be theirs
1t is too late to start again.
Those men are in hell. for they exist
in the land of no hope. Despair en-
graves deep: on their gray stone faces
it chisels Here again will reform
step in to help 1t is planned to make
San Quentin a place OF hope. Every
man is to be given his chance.
To do this it will not be necessary to
IL. oil
man Ineligible because of previous con-
viction. however. the following plan
probably will be put into execution;
When convict has proved himself
worthy of release and has fulfilled all
requirements before his term has eN-
pired his sentence Will be committed
pending good behavior, and a parole
will be granted him. This. however.
will be done only with the sanction OF
the supreme court and the governor.
1T is really a conditional pardon BY
this means every felOn will have
chance to earn liberty. The whole re-
sponsibility rests with himself.
But the reform will go further.
night school is to be started. All pris-
Oners will have the opportunity to
learn and advance. The iliterate ones
will be compelled to attend. In ad-
ditiOn several other minor changes are
to be brought about tending toward
the general DeJLerment OF prison con-
ditiOns and those in servitude.
BY these means the moral tone OF
San Quentin will be raised. The bet
ter men viii not be allowed to asso-
ciate with the vicious. even at their
meals. The health of the penal COM
munity now numbering over roo men.
will be better. COnvicts will continue
to be men in spite OF their degradation
and some criminals might learn to
abide by the law. In any event, the
law breakers, potential criminals. viii
have the chance to learn that the law
can not be beaten for long. and San
Quentin. the tomb Of the living dead.
will become an assistance and not a
destroyer of mans moral hber.
These changes. however, will not
make San Quentin any more attractive
than il is now. Life there is grim
and as colorless as the gray walls that
surround the yards. 1t is unnatural.
No man ever gets used to il quite
There is always that unceasing desire
for liberty. the unrest Of restraint
Prison discipline will be as strict and
existence as hard. No laws will be
broken by any enthusiast merely that
he may be reformed there.