The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-11-07
PAROLE SYSTEM ESTABLISHED.
Provisions Of Recent Law Put into
Effect by Board of Control Of
State neutrality-suspicious. in
Louisiana Peculiar


4board Of control of the state peni-
tentiary to establish a parole sys-
TEN, the members OF the board have
found. after making a very careful
study of the parole systems of vari-
GUS states, that owing to the peculiar
conditions existing in Louisiana, the
inmates OF the state penitentiary be-
ing 80 per cent negroes their task
Is going to be rather difficult one
Parole Is neither discharge nor a
pardon. 1t Is merely a permit to go
outside the penitentiary under GER
tain conditions, and for any violation
of these conditions the paroled con
vict will be brought back to serve
out the term.
The object OF q parole law is not
to turn convicts out promiscuously or
enable them easily to evade the pun
ishment which the courts have de-
creed. Parole has to be earned by
good conduct, faithful service, and
evidence of a fixed determination to
become a laW-abiding citizen and to
earn an honest living by useful Ia
bor. It is not to be had for the
asking, nor is it to be secured by
outside influence nor appeals from
family and friends.
The parole law does not repeal or
change in any way the laws govern
ing communication of sentence nor
what is known as the "good-time"
law, nor does it affect the rules Of
the board Of control adopted there
under
Under the authority of the law
(Act No. 149 Of 1910, and with the
approval of the governor, the board
OF control has established rules gov
erning the paroling Of convicts and
prescribing the duties of those who
are released on parole. No convict
will be released until he fully and
freely assents to these rules.
Col. C. Harrison Parker, president
of the board OF control, has issued a
letter in which he points out the
manner by which the board will en-
deavor to establish parole system
with as few restrictions as possible,
depending on time and experience
to develop practical general rules
and the general policy to be pursued. |
The communication is as follows:
Baton Rouge, La, Oct. %, 1914.
Enclosed herewith find two copies |
of the rules adopted under the pa |
role act. AS you know, the law is |
y tually q general permission to es-
y .ablish parole system with very |
few restrictions. Since the adjourn
ment Of the legislature we have made
careful study of the parole system |
of the various states and of the |
United States, with a view OF formu-
latlng complete system at the |
start, but owing to the peculiar condi-
!. tfons existing in the south, particular
in Louisiana, it is very difficult
h pblem, the inmates being 80 per
cent negroes. 1t is evident that the
same system which would work well |
In the states of Michigan and Colo
rado would be difficult to execute
mere. The system will have to be |
gradually built up in this state, and
practical general rules will develop
by experience, particularly as to the
general policy to be pursued.
THE system Of parole was de-
signed to go with the indeterminate
sentence. Under the indeterminateI
sentence the Judge lays down the |
minimum and maximum sentence,
and the penitentiary authorities. de-
termine, in each particular case,
whether the prisoner shall be let out
On parole at the end of the mini
mum sentence or detained later, or
confined until the maximum sentence
is satisfied. The difficulty in ap-
plying the parole law to the deter
inmate sentence which We have In |
this state is not fully appreciated by
the general public. The courts. in
passing sentence, are supposed to
award punishment according to the
circumstances Of the case and the
character Of the accused, not only to
punish the individual. but to pro-
tect society and prevent others from
committing crimes. believe all will
admit this general principle
The state of New York Is one of
the first states of the Union to In
augurate the parole system, and
twenty years ago adopted, in con-
junction with the parole law, an au-
thorlzation to the judges to pass the
lndeterminate sentence, and did not
apply the parole to any definite SEN
tence. For many years the judges
would pass but few indeterminate SEN
tences, although authorized to do so,
and the parole was a dead letter.
AfterWard the legislature applied the
parole law to definite sentence, but
II provided that no prisoner, on a
aeflnlte sentence, should be paroled
until he had served one-half Of the
sentence, and that is the law of the
state of New York today.
Now Louisiana has gone ahead OF
all the states of the Union in it's
communication laws, and provides for
double good time for meritorious SER
Wees and very exemplary conduct, so
mat under our present communication
law. enacted in 1902, as gradually
extended by the board Of control, a
prisoner sentenced to ten years can
get out In four years and four months,
or little less than one-haf of the
period OF his sentence; a tWenty-year
man has to serve seven years and
elsht months. Or little over one
th1fd OF his sentence; and five
year man has to serve two years and
slght months, or little over one |
naif of the period Of his sentence.
! me communication law declares that a
prisoner may earn this, and he Is
aiieWed 1t, irrespective OF his crime
or mis- past record prior TO his SEN
eeace, by performing the duties as
signed to him faithfully and energeti-
saily, obeying the rules and striving
tor better things, and his whole con
auct earns him recognition am {
Iutly convinced this is the SIIrest way /