The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-11-21
NORTHUMBERLAND
OF MUCH INTEREST
Prison Mirror Gives a Few Notations
Concerning Measure Which Now
Governs State Penitentiary.
TELLS OF PAROLE OF PRISONERS
Gives Outline of Manner in Which
Convicts Must Apply for Action
From Board in Charge.

One of the laws of the State OF
Minnesota concerning which the
citizens at large no little is that
known as the Indeterminate Sentence
law. That bright and we'll gotten uI
weekly newspaper, the Prison Mirror
edited and printed by inmates of the
Saltwater penitentiary, has the fol.
lowing to say concerning the mea-
sure:
"A number of the "boys" have re-
quested us to give some idea of what
the rndeterminate Sentence Law is;
and whether or not we are in favor
of it. A large number Of them have
asked us regarding the working of
the Law, and also If second timers
and old timers were eligible to parole,
therefore, we have secured authori-
tive information on the subject and
will present it in the columns of the
Mirror SO that he who wishes may
read
Grin and Bear It."
"As to whether we are in favor of
the indeterminate sentence law we
will only say that the law is not in
favor Of the repeater" and was not
intended to be when it was put in
the statutes; therefore, you can
readily see that we, being repeater,
cannot in truth be in favor of a law
that was designed to "soak" us in
the neck. However, be that as it
may, the law is a reality and we can't
change it, so the best thing we can
do is grin and bear it. and hope that
things will shape themselves in such
a way as to give us a chance to prove
what we are really made Of. Nuff
sed.
All Are Eligible.
"A number of the boys think that
a repeater is not eligible for parole,
but that is wrong, for every man SEN
fenced under the indeterminate SEN
tence law, and every man who, under
the old straight sentence law would
be eligible for parole, be he still
serving out his sentence, may be pa
rolled under the present law.
"All the boys whose minimum SEN
fences exceed two years will be in
terested in the following, taken from
the Rules Governing the Parole of
Prisoners:
80 Applicants may appear before
the Board Of Parole at the first meet
ing after the expiration of their
minimum sentence, provided they
have remained in the first grade for
six months previous to their appear
ance before the board.
After Two Years.
Applicants whose minimum SEN
fences exceed two years, may come
before the Board of Parole after two
years of detention, if otherwise quail
fled, at which time the Board may
set time at which their formal ap-
plication may be considered
The Indeterminate Sentence Law,
taken from the Laws of 1911, reads
as follows:
This Is the Law.
"Chapter 29S-S F. No. 9. An
act to provide for the indeterminate
sentence of persons convicted of
crime and to authorize and regulate
the paroling of convicts.'
80 Be it enacted by the Legislature
Of the state of Minnesota:
Indeterminate Sentence in Ger,
tain Cases.-Section 1. Whenever
any person is convicted of any felony
or crime committed after the passage
of this act punishable by imprison
ment in the state prison or state re
formatory, except treason or murder
in any of the degrees thereof defined
by law, the court in imposing sen
tence shall not fix a definite tern
of Imprisonment but shall sentence
every such person to the state re
fOrmatory or the state prison, as thu
nature of the case may require ant
every such sentence shall be withou
limit as to time and the person sen
fenced shall be subject to release OF
parole and to final discharge by thu
Board of Pardons as hereinafter pro
vided, but Imprisonment under sucl
sentence shall not exceed the maxi
mum term provided by law for tn
offense for which said person shall
be convicted; provided, that if per
son be sentenced for two or NOR,
such seperate offenses sentence shall
be pronounced for each offense ant
Imprisonment Hereunder may equa
but shall not exceed the total of tn,
maximum terms provided by law TO
such separate offenses, which tota
shall, for the purpose of this act, b.