El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-21

III PAYS to give men a chance. 1OI
-once a thief always a thief is not
= true. After eight years experience
1 think the parole system is successful.
The United States federal prisons be-
gan. on September 1, 1910. to parole
prisoners. They have started on the
RICH way to give the convicted man an
opportunity to redeem himself.
One inmate of the New Jersey reform
atory who was paroled five years ago
now holds a good position as a travel
ing salesman at $4,000 a year and COM
mission. He has a wife and two chill
dren He was committed for breaking,
entering and larceny. He almost killed
the owner of the house before the alarm
could be given. Until he was paroled
he had never worked a full month. An
other young man was sent to us for
grand larceny. He made up his mind
that he would not live up to the rules.
He was one of those we call bad ones"
a change came over him all at once
and be made up his mind that he was
going to be a man. After a while he
earned his parole and later a full re-
lease. Today he holds a position in the
fire department of a large city.
Large Percentage Reclaimed
People are always ready to criticise
when a paroled inmate makes second
mistake. 1t is impossible to have sue
cess with every case but so percent of
those from this Institution are reformed
The final result in Is percen. of The
cases is unknown, five percent relapse
and 20 percent have neither betterej
their condition nor have they committed
a second offence.
Some while on parole make the best
of men and when granted a full release,
knowing there is no check upon them,
fall again and commit -crime. The longer
they are kept on parole the better are
the results, because they understand
that if they violate their parole condi-
ions they will be brought back.
Employers Not Deceived.
In our institution those who are I'M
able to write their names when ad
mitted are not allowed to leave until
they have learned to write a letter in
telHgently. We try to give the young
men as much elementary knowledge as
we can. We parole over 500 year. No
one is permitted to leave until suitable
employment mas been found for him
and the employer must know who he is,
and sign form that he will try to help
make a man of him.
1 have never found an employer who
was in need of help who would not give
a paroled boy an opportunity to prove
himself a man. 1 have had as many as
time, working as laborers, iron workers
and electricians. They receive the same
pay as the regular employees.
Among the things which make boy
bad is too good home. One young
man 1 know is the son of a man who
has a fine business, with a number of
men in his employ. He was given plenty
of spending money by his mother. She
found that John spent more than she
could give him. Next he robbed his
fathers store and sold goods to get
money to buy cigarets, and for moving
picture SHOWS. The father suspected
one OF his employees and had him ar
rested. This man told the police and
the father what the son had been doing.
The father lodged a complaint against
his son for breaking and entering The
young man was paroled in due time to
suitable position About month
later his mother wrote that she mad
taken John away from his work and
was going to keep him home and pay
him three dollars a week to be good
boy. I found other employment for
this young man and instructed him that
if he did not keep this position he would
be returned for violating his parole. He
kept this place four months and then
left He was returned to the institu-
ton. Today, after second parole, he
is married and has settled down. He
has a pleasant home, three children and
a good trade. He has had his full re-
lease for two years
Another cause of bad boys is too bad
a home A cass will illustrate. A boy
who was sent 20 the reformatory for
robbery in time was paroled.
[ visited his home which was not fit
for a paroled inmate to enter. The
father and mother were both smoking
clay pipes and three or four men were
drinking. 1t was one of the most filthy
houses 1 have ever entered. / saw at
once the cause of the boys downfall.
He admitted TO me that many a time
he had gone home after a days work
and found his father and mother drink
ing and nothing for him to eat. He
would then go out on the corner and
shoot craps with the boys.
First Sentences.
Experience has shown that for the
real work of the reformatory to be sat
done the maximum term for
which the first time criminal may be
sentenced is very often insufficient