Bisbee daily review., 1912-01-07
The Convict Parole System Profitable As
 We'll As Humane
Well As Humane
CBy Frank P. McCraryJ


 Some people have an idea that the principle of the parole work is founded on the mere sentiment of giving the erring one another chance when, as matter Of fact, it is founded on nothing less than DOL LARS and CENTS. While it may be true to say that in extending parole 10 a convict. society is offering a dc gree Of forgiveness, is exhibiting a higher plane Of Christianity, still, the fundamental idea back of the parole work. and it's complement. the Inde- terminite Sentence. is saving to the taxpayers and the making of good citizens out of what might be consid- cred negligible, if not worthless. cit izensThat men. released from prison. do make good" in the highest possi- ble sense is best exhibited by figures cold matter of fact statements. In California, out of over some 1400 men paroled, only seven per cent have com. mitted new crimes. When one takes the statistics of the various prisons not having the parole work properly established and ascertains that almost thirty-One per cent are repeater" that is have been convicted previous
 
 fact is proven that the parole has made good citizens out Of two-thirds Of those who would otherwise have been bad citizens. 1T it be admitted that the cost to the taX-payers of Arl- zOna, of every conviction including trial Jail and prison maintenance. transportation and fees, etc, is about S5OO.0g for every convict, then the .-1r ,Ts. Fa FssTT d. onstrated.
 In the penilentiary at Florence are three men, all young, all physically healthy and strong, who have served four prison terms in the last ten vars in Arizona's penitentiary and t is possible that they may have served terms in other states between the periods oi serviJude in Arizona. Tax ing the figures recently prepared in this office as basis of computation. l am certain that each one Of these three men has cost Arizona not less than S4,OoO, whereas the expense un- der the indeterminate term and pa role system should not have been more than $1,OOO--a saving to the tax payers of S3,O0O in each ease How would this have been done Had each man been sentenced to an indeter- minate term, they would have prob ably earned their parole in a mini mum Of time, have gone out into the world under the supervision of the parole department and would have had 10 earn their privilege to con tinue at liberty by a course of life that would have been mapped out tn them. These same men would have made either good citizens at the sav- ing of their subsequent convictions, or else have made submissive Convicts at 9 much lowered cost to the taXpay- ing bodies. If the saving in each Of these cases is represented by 5000 in figures, how much more would have been saved society by their restora- ton to the place nature designed them to hold in the world?
 California claims to have the best percentage of success with her pa role work. which, with liberal legisla- ton, competent officers. and ample field of employment, she might well dO-yet despite the handicap of in- sufficient legislation. no appropria- ton for field work. lack of suitable ! employment for her deserving men, ! Arizona may still hold her head high. for the quality ol the work of the | paroled men, released from Florence, . is most encouraging for the future : amplirying of the work. One former ' inmate is a member of a San Diego ! real estate hrm, another, vice prest dent of a mining company; another, uresident Of a California firm that has been for some months q natiOnaI | advertiser. another, cost accountant 10 a large coast house: another the confidential man of one of the ter ritOry's large auto agencies. Still an other, a man without friends or funds vas recently released into the custody Of the parole clerk, and as he was somewhat of an invalid then, he was not sent to work for some time. To -i day he is the trusted inmate of the house he had burglarized, living with the family Of the man robbed and WhC is today, his employer and benefactor ? It is to save men of this character
 to elevate them to their proper ap preciatiOn of their manhood, of theil
 possibilities of life, of citizenship , to save the taxpayers the expense ! of the upkecp of these men, wheT b their incarceration does no good t6 b society or themselves-these are th' . objects of the parole work. and t E z 10 properly explain the work. the men
 it benefits and it's help 10 civilization ! that these series Of articles are beint e prepared.
 B Persons troubled with partial par