The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-11-15

Statistics Of Interest Given
and Paroles are Urged
ina Re eFt.

BALTEMoRE, Nd, Sow. 15-The
report Of the Committee on Re-
foqFllatoEy Work ana Parole. TO the
American Prison Association. noWe
holding congress IN this city. has
) inst been Hra6o-by FPank Moore, oLE
Railway, n il chalEnan or the COM !
mittee. The report was in part as
follows:
The report of the Census Bu-
reau on the Prison Population OF the
United States, published December
so. 1911. shows something OF how
great the criminal question is withs
which the American Prison .Associ-
alton has to deal The ratio OF pris-
.oners on January L. 1910, was. 1875
to each 100000 OF our popuIa-
ton, while the ratio OF commitments
during that year was 5225 to each
100000 citizens. Thus 1t appears5i
that at the beginning Of the year
1910 one person out OF every s0Ot,
greeted the New Year in prison, and
that during that same year for every
100 persons IN our total pOpulattonl
there was one prison commitment
The entire number confined during \
the year was AIS, 763.1 This num-
Der is greater than the population OF
any one Of ten states, and It is larger
than the combined population of the [
four states: Wyoming, Nevada, (
Alaska and Delaware. 4
From the census It also appears 3
that there is an increase in the num-f
Der of those who are being commit
ted to penal institutions. The cen
sus of 1890 shows 1e6 prisonersE
for every 100000 population, the
census of 1900 shows 100 $40. /
while the census OF 1910, as already
stated, is 125 The census of Eng 4
land for 1910 shows I85 tried inf
courts for every 100000. while our
census shows 522 actually impris-
oned for the same number
''Fhe first month an offender IS iu
custodsal care IS the most vital part
OF his confinement. During that
time it is OF the utmost Importance
that he sohuld be completely isO-t
lated from the rest of the popula-
ton. The receiving ward is the,
most valuable part OF an institution;
not as a means of preventing conf
contagious diseases from spreading,
not that it may be used for the in-I
struction Of the inmate in the rules
and spirit OF the institution; these
arc both needfu7. but the necessary
thing above everything else is that
it should become a psychological
laboratory, where not only the mem
tai ability of the inmate should bel
carefully determined, but where the}
hidden secrets that lie back of the
crime he committed shall be dis
covered. Here in the receiving ward
the physician, the psychologist and#
the wise isciplinarian-the officer
of keenest perception. are all needed
TO discover the very taproot of ehell
mans evil deeds in order that hisf
assignment to work may be wise,
the discipline to be administered TOT
him just, and co in the end the man
reformed"
After drawing attention to some
of the types of Offenders who present.
special mental and physical dihcul-f
ties, and reviewing the existing
methods OF reformatory work, Mr..
Moore took up the question of pa
role. He said that some persons
claimed 65 per cent. otners 80 per
cent, and still others 81 per cent OIL
paroled prisoners make good. He,
quoted one investigator as follows;
81 believe that 25 per cent of the
boys paroled make a greater average
of success than is made by the pee
pie in the class from which they
come. This is due to the training
and preparation they get at the in
stitution. Another % per cent make
good to the extent OF living free
from crime and can be classified as
good citizens, sustaining the rela-
tions of life in a creditable manner 4