El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-18
BY
PAROLE IS URGED
Prison Reform Leaders Dis
cUss Means For Help
inc in WOrk


TEN Of reformation and parole should be
The means Of bringing about the erasing
Of many imperfections in the manner
Of conducting penal institutions in this
country was the declaration made to
the American Prison association at its
session here today in the report Of the
standing committee on refOrmatory
work and parole Of which Frank L.
randall Of St. Cloud, Mimi, is chair
man.
The old system Of fixed sentences
ana good time allowances" the com
mltJee declared in its report, "but with
out the power Of parole, was not cali
cuiated to result in study and Obser-
Fallon OF the capacity and prevailing
attitude OF the individual delinquent,
Iurtner than the same might have been
valuable in d practical way to the man
agement"
Richards on Physical Defects.
That physical defects cause more
crime than anything else, was the dec
laration today Of Or. William Martin
Richards, Of New York, before the con-
gress. The work given criminals while
IN prison only Increases the defects and
turns them out on the world with worse
physical equipment than when they
entered, he said, and urged strongly
Inat corrective measures, physically, be
studied and put into practice in the
penal Institutions.
he said, who are trlumphantly virtu-
Gus under the most adverse physical
conditions individuals whose moral
Iiber is of such strength that no suffer
ing, no merely physical disability can
weaken It, On the other hand, when
moral fiber is lacking, there is all the
more reason why every physical adTan-
tage be given, and honesty and industry
made as easy as possible. Underneath
every crime IS some kind of inCOmpe-
tence, and underneath incompetence is
some kind OF physical defect, either in
nerlled or acquired ] do not mean that
physical defect is the only cause Of in
comp Lenc6 and crime, but Ii IS the
chief cause, and il is the foundation
upon which incompetency and crime
are based"
Urges Farm for Criminals.
Back to the farm" for prisoners was
advocated by L. A. Halbert, general
superintendent of the board Of public
welfare Of Kansas City, No, in his ad-
dress before the American Prison assO-
citation at its session today. The knowl-
edge that he is directly assisting HIM
self by his efforts would tend to ele-
Tate the prisoner, according to Mr.. Hal
bert and he advised work on a farm
as the most beneficial to the man OF
woman from any standpoint from which
1t can be considered.
That farm labor IS wholesome and
health1ul is so automatic as not to need
any argument" said the speaker.
There are advantages Of farm labor
over other kinds OF labor for prison
ers. The nature Of farm work does
away with all problems Of light and
Ventilation There is great variety OF
motions and some locOmOtion required
IN ali Iarm work and thus al the sets
Of muscles in a mans body get some
exercise Farm work can be done with
less previous knowledge and skill than
almost any other form of productive
labor. There is the additional advan-
IA Hr
work that farm produce can be so
largely utilized In the direct support Of
the prisoners themselves
Kansas City has a municipal farm
on which she works her prisoners, as
has Cleveland also, and San Francisco
mas one in prospect II not in operation
and there may be other cities repre-
sented here in this association doing
something along the same line.
AT Kansas City our experience so
TAR has confirmed US in the opinion that
this outdoor work IS the best kind Of
work for prisoners"
KayII on Prison Camps.
Prison camps in New Zealand in con-
nect1on with a government foresta-
ton plan were described to the Amer
lean Prison congress here today by
James A. kayll advisory visitor Of the
prison department, department OF JUS
uce Of New Zealand. These camps, he
declared, have a very important part
In the prison system Of that country.
The objects Of the plan, he described
as tWOIOld, to provide healthy and use
ful occupation for prisoners amidst sur
roundings which are quite unrelated
to their former habit Of life, and to
accomplish useful labor for the state
without coming into competition with
Both Of these objects have certainly
been gained" said Mr. Kayll "Ths
sites chosen for the camps are a con-
siderable distance from close population
q M ira q -
rating climate. The prisoners are out
all day working at hard manual labor.
either on the hills or the plains. They
develop keen appetites and sleep well I
The result is a rapid Improvement I
IN physique much more cOntented Z
mind and the formed habit for sustained /
Industry
De Courey Quotes TAFT.
quoting president TAFT as saying that I
The administration of criminal law \
IN this country is a disgrace to civiIiza-
1On," judge c. A. De COurcy- Of Law
renee Mass, Justice Of the superior /
court or Massachusetts, pointed out that /
the United States was conspicuous for
the great number Of unpublished muir
ierers.
The defence of insanity the Iimita-
ion Of the power Of judges and the
character Of testimony allowed to be I
i'm behalf of the defendant I
we're some of the evils which. he said /
ought to be rectified.
The number Of hOmicides I'm this Z
country for 1910 were S975-an increase
II nearly 600 over the number in 1909: I
ret but one in Sc was capitally pun
shed in 1910 as against one I'm "A dur
ng the year preceding" said judge De
,ourcy
1T is said that in 1895 for each mil
TO Of the population there were 1I8
Omicides in the United States, in ITALY
7ss than Is; in Canada less than 10:
n Great Britain less than g; in Ger
many less than g.
Trant on juvenile Criminals.
''TO prevent children from becoming
riminals is the best Investment q gov
rnment can make" said William Traut.
olice magistrate OF Regime. Sask. Cam
da, in an address. He declared Canada
nd the United States should cooDerafe