The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-10-30
CHARITIES AND CORRECTIONS
CONFERENCE HELD HERE
Addresses Delivered by DR.. s. G. Smith, Warden
Woter, Hon. C. {. vasay, Supt Reed,
Rev. Parsons and Judge Waite.
The PAPER Dr. Smith "eatm Of Paed and Discharged Prisoners
Created Quite Discussion. Believes in Abolshing
Maximum and Minimum Penalty

That Minnesota with its fine new state
prison and other attractions is being given
attention not only in America but abroad
is evident by many incidents.
The distinguished German prison men
who visited the prison last week was one of
such incidents.
Another such incident is that the Nation
al Prison Congress that met last week in
indianapolis selected St. Paul for its meet
ing next year, and one of the reasons for
selecting that city was that it was the wish
of the delegates to spend day at the State
Prison in this city. One day of the Cong
ress will be given to the state prison, with
sessions in the new prison auditorium.
Monday the Minnesota Conference of
Corrections and Charities held forenoon
and afternoon sessions in the new prison
auditorium. The conference opened in
Minneapolis last Saturday and ended on
Tuesday.
The delegates came to Saltwater in a
special Omaha train on Monday morning.
Upon arrival at $50 in the morning there
was an inspection of the prison.
Luncheon was served at the new prison
and then there was an afternoon session.
Judge E. F. Waite, of the juvenile court
of Minneapolis, read paper upon the ad-
ministration of county aid to dependent
children and upon the mothers pension.
Judge Grier Nd. Orr, of St. Paul, lead
in the discussion of the paper.
"County Budgets was the subject of a
paper by A. ]. Ekstein, of Clear Lake,
and the discussion thereof opened by ]. H.
Devenney, county commissioner of Stevens
county, and participated in by John Ho-
man, Mankato; F. C. Irwin, of Belle
Plaine, and Others.
At eleven o'clock, in the Audi
torium, with Judge E. F. Waite
presiding, the third meeting of the
Twenty-Second Annual State Con-
ference of Charities and Correc-
ton was called to order.
After a few we'll chosen re-
marks, Judge Waite introduced
DR.. S. G. Smith, of the State Pa
role Board, to the members. The
subject of Mr.. Smiths address,
Treatment of Paroled and Dis
charged Prisoners" was we'll
chosen and one that Mr.. Smith
thoroughly understands. In part
he said:
Prisoners are only citizens with
bad character or reputation, and
are sent to prison to be reformed
or cured. The recent indetermi-
nate sentence law has made it pos
sible for man convicted of crime
to be more justly judged. For
merly the power all rested with
one man-the Judge. Today the
power rests with four men the
State Board of Parole. Formerly
the Judge could sentence man to
five days, be he first, second or
third offender, and then turn
around and sentence another man
for the same kind of crime to
five years Imprisonment; and in
that case neither man secured JUS
tice. Today an exhaustive investi-
CATION is made of a mans pre-
vious life and character. He is
kept in prison so long as the mem
bers of the board think necessary
or until he serves the maximum
penalty.
Prisons are for the purpose OF
restoring man to that which he
has lost. No hospital would think
of discharging q man from under
the care of the doctors until the
doctors said the man was well and