Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-10
PRISON LETTERS
TELL SAD STORY
MUST RAISE CASH AND GET
IMMEDIATE WORK
Col. Griffith DeIuged with Heart
Breaking correspondence-een-
eral Conditions and State
Regulations Blamed

Col. Griffith ]. Griffith, secretary and
treasurer of the Prison Reform league,
has written The Herald a letter re-
specting the paroling of prisoners that
should arouse at least much thought.
In fact the bare relation of the facts
conjures up a picture so full OF pathos
that the imagination which cannot
grasp it's main outlines must be dull
indeed.
After promising that the Prison Re
form league never has considered the
relief of individual cases it's principal
work, and that it has concentrated all
it's energies on a campaign of educa-
tion for the removal of causes, Colonel
Griffith gives a sample of his morning
mail. He quotes from four letters just
received from prisoners now lying IN
Folsom and San Quentin, each of whom
is apparently entitled to parole. But
all these men must put up their $50 as
a deposit and must eXpend some $50 to
S35 additional to cover cost of trans
portation, clothing and other neces-
sary expenses. And when one has lain
IN jail for years straining every nerve
to keep ones copper" and dreaming
of liberty as the one thing worth llV-
ing for, suddenly this wall jumps into
sight-an obstacle that must be sur
mounted, one knows not how. No Won
der the letters are pathetic.
Moreover, not only must the cash be
found, but there must be a guarantee
of employment, and if the discharged
prisoner cannot show by his employ
er's report that he is steadily at work
back to jail he goes. Another wall OF
terrific proportions, and the anxiety TO
surmount it, as exhibited in these let
io a1n itself
pies:
Il understand handling horses and
COWS; also am a harness maker by
trade. l am serving a fifteen-year sem
tence, of which l have served all but
three and a half years. If you kindly
will help me L will work for you three
years and six months for nothing eX-
cept board, clothes and lodging. Before
the goth of this month do please send
the agreement to employ and III work
for you honestly and satisfactorily.
Somehow there is a ring about that
which is self-convincing, and it is hard
to believe that the writer would not
make a genuine effort to be square,
Here is another: Il have served a
nineteen-year sentence out of one of
forty wears. [ appealed to the govern
or, who informed me that, in consid-
Grafton of my conduct and time served,
[ was eligible to parole, to which end
L have my parole papers sent IN TO
the state board of prison directors TWO
months ago, and L think Will be called
before them at their next meeting But,
if they should parole me, it would be
necessary for me to procure employ
ment, which would be difficult for me
to do, as my acquaintances and per-
sons / know may be dead and gone.
Hence 1 would appeal to your gen
erosity to beg of you a favor in pro-
curing me employment. l could quail
fy as cook, or tool sharpener, or up
holsterer-my real trade-or any ranch
work.
Broken by Prison Life
Another writes pleadingly that, al
though only Sc years old, his health has
broken greatly while in prison, but
that he can do gardening and all other
kinds of light work, If only the OPP
portunity can be afforded. And so 1T
goes. Always the same difficulties pre-
sent themselves-lack of cash, which
the state insists on eXacting, and lack
of opportunity to labor.
By recent legislation the state set
apart the munificent sum of $4,000 an
nually to provide discharged conVicts
with employment. How far, with eco
nomic conditions as they are, can that
driblet be expected to go? 1t does not
even enable the authorities to main
tain a, single officer in Southern Cali
fornia, from which comes such a large
percentage of our convicts, and to
which those released naturally wish
to return, since it is there alone that
they can hope for help from friends.
1t is all very well to say that the
men could find work if they would hunt
for it diligently. But consider the diff
ficulties. These are marked men, and
constables, operating under the fee
system 'for revenue only" are only
too anxious to run in every working
man who takes to the road in search
of employment To them the eX-con-
Wet is the easiest of marks, a victim
made ready to their hand.
Think of the mental bewilderment
that must beset a man turned loose
upon this struggling world after years
passed in the cell life of one of our
great penitentiaries. Picture your
self going from factory to factory and
ranch to ranch, with no credentials to
offer and a hundred and one tell-tale
signs of the past that you must con-
ceal at any price! ut is no wonder
Col. Griffith is deluged with cores
pondence that must be heart-rendlng
beyond all expression sald Ihelll-
ber of the Prison Reform league, "or
that comprehending as it does the
hopelessness of endeavoring to save
each individual wreck, the league eX-
haua.s itself, as in its lately pub
lished book, in appeals for considera-
tion of the causes that bring about the
wrecks while seeking to form fund
for temporary relief. Meanwhile it
goes without saying that whoever, TAX
ing this recital to heart, may come to
Col. Griffith's aid with offers or sug-
gestions for the employment of these
unfortunates will earn both his and
their profoundest thanks. But let us
not forget that however great may be
the individual charity displayed, the
general situation will stand unchangeoi
brutal. infamous, stupid beyond all
description"
WAS NOT TOO BUSY
Lieutenant Shackleton, in happy