Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-29
GRIFFITH ARGUES
FOR PAROLE PLAN
Secretary Prison Reform League
Speaks Against Opinion of
Chief Galloway
RECORDS SHOW IMPROVEMENT
Work Done by New Organization
Is Declared to Have
Been Beneficial
RECORDS SHOW IMPROVEMENT

Colonel Griffith J. Griffith, secretary
and treasurer of the Prison Reform
league. has entered an emphatic pro-
test to the statements credlted 10
Chief of Police Galloway and Captain
of detectives Paul Flammer, both of
whom were reported recently by a
local paper as expressing the opinion
that paroles were being granted too
frequently. He considers the chief
declaration that "75 per cent at least
of the holdups and attacks on women
are committed by paroled men Of this
and other states" a mere guess one
that does much injustice, and one that
is directly contradicted by al the eyi7 VA
dence at his disposal. To Herald
representative he expressed himself
thus:
Apart from the indisputable fact
that the attitude of the police and OF
society at large toward the released
convict too often forces him once
more into crime, there is every reason
for supposing that the man released
ON parole will make q genuine eftort
TO lead an honest life. In the first
place, he is not released until employ
ment for him has been found, and this
in itself Is a most effective precaution.
Indeed, the difficulty of guaranteeing
work for unknown, friendless men
often deprives prisoners of a privilege
to which their record entities them.
ADVANTAGES OF PAROLE
''In the second place, men released
on parole have to report at regular
and short intervals, and are thus
constantly under supervision. In the
third place, the fact that in this state
the prisoner, or his friends, must raise
a sum of fully $50 before release can
be obtained constitutes powerful,
and frequently a most unjust check on
too great laxity.
"The clippings of the Prison Reform
league show an almost practical unan-
unity of opinion throughout the
country in favor of generous extern
sion of the parole system. Last years
agent was most encouraging, for it
stated that only 10 per cent of III
Drisoners paroled had failed to make
GOOD. The men paroled had earned
$521, ,642 and saved $115,166. Many We're
supporting once more their families
and dependent relatives.
Commenting on these figures in the
early part OF this wear, Mrs. Hester
T. Griffith wrote The Herald that one
of the prison directors had informed
her that only 1 per cent out of the 10
per cent reported as having failed to
make good had been returned to prison
for actual crime.
CANADA's PAROLE RECORD
Similarly last years congress Of
the American Prison association re-
ported that in Canada the parole sys-
TEN had received a most generous ex-
tension during the past ten years;
that during that period 2515 prisoners
hade been released before the expira-
ton of their regular terms; that less
than per cent of the licenses granted
to paroled men had been Cancelled for
nom compliance with the terms of the
parole, and that of these cancellations
less than per cent had been for per-
petration of crime.
"The further fact that the entire
Subject was examined recently and
most exhaustively by congress, fol-
lowing which a bill extending the pa
role system to federal prisons passed
the house of representatives with the
almost unanimous approval of the
press, is deeply suggestive. 1 submit
that such a body of evidence as 1
have briefly sketched is a far more
reliable guide than the haphazard ut
terance attributed to our chief of
police"