New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-01-23
AIDS LOO UNFORTUNATE
Prison Association Finds Work
for 362 Persons ION Parole"
BARROWS LEAGUE ASSISTS
Increased Activities Shown in
Report Presented at An
nual Meeting

The Prison Association Of New York dur
/ irc 1910 found work for 362 released pris-
opers AT the annual meeting held last
Thursday O. +. Lewis. general secretary.
reported that 1921 former prisoners had
been in charge. Of the parole bureau during
| the year. and that the men and women on
rrobatior 20 the association from the Court
| Of General Sessions would bring tho total
number Of persons helped to 100.
! Managers Of tho prisons and reforma-
| tories know the Prison Association will
take At any time as many men on parole
a. NAV be assigned to the association.
These men must report once month, and
they are also visited by the parole staff
at their work and at their homes.
To illustrate to what extent the men in
,he state prisons look to the Prison Asso-
citation for help after prison, the general
secretary said that during the last month
| more than sixty letters had been received
from them. asking the Prison Association
70 take them on parole. one man wrote
from Sing Sing:
Now, ! have been both good and bad in
nv time and ] don't lay claim To being
any better or any worse than the average
man and I honestly think that II ! was
c,iyen a chance there is still enough man
hood in me 10 try to do what is square and
just"
Another man wrote: at is my first expert
encc Of this kind Of lfe it will he my last.
I haven't any one in New York state 70
appeal 10 for assistance. and I assure you
my future life will enable you to say. Well
done thou good and faithful servant"
An prisoners eligible for parole must oh
tain an offer Of employment, 50 their pur-
nose i'm writing TO the association * OBJ
viors
The general secretary pointed out that
during tho year seventy-siX men had been
paroed from the state prisons to the ass"-
citation II was necessary 10 return 70
state prison only four men, and the others
we're all doing well.
Ten thousand calls a year were made at
the Office of the Prison Association, most
Of them from men who had done time.
The associations staff made over $500 VS.
is f. 1910 i'm behalf Of men on parole ana
on probation. and gave nearly $50 meals
and 96S lodgings The association spent
IS goo i'm cash relief. including lodgings and
meals Many friends of the association
give clothing, magazines and books. and
34s garments were received 10y needy pris-
oners during the year.
Smith Ely contributed $4,000 To the en-
dowment fund, ana an equivalent amount
was raised by the association last year.
but the income will not be available for
SIX months, and an appeal was made for
financial help because Of greatly increased
activity.
The work for dependent families of pris-
oners was placed in charge Of = special
committee. with the exclusive service OF
one visitor The problem Of mental de-
fec;iyeness among prisoners received much
attention from the association, and a spe-
cial committee on defective delnqunents
vas appointed at the last meeting, which
comprised twenty-five specialists in study
and care of delinquonts. \ closely aihlat-
ed body of forty business and professional
men. calling themselves the Barrows
League was organized to assist the Prison
Association through work for the welfare
OF persons released from prisons or re-
forInatory institutions.
4 comprehensive study of the lives Of
seven hundred present and former inmates
Of Elmra RefOrmatory was conducted by
the association during 1919. through the
financial support Of the Sage Foundation.
II was expected that this study would be
published this year.