South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-07
FINES SYSTEM FOR
PETTY CRIMES NOT
JUST SAYS REPORT
Means of Offender Should be
Considered - Illinois Police
Pension Law Also Criticised
Because of Inconsistency.

NEW YORK. July Tn n report
on The Correctional system OF
Springfield Illinois" Zena l.. Potter Of
the Russell Sage Foundation severely
criticiZes the petty filming system in
general use throughout the country.
He brings two main indictments
against the system: First. that as a
means for dealing with offenders who
have confirmed delinquent tendencies
fines. since they cannot remove deep
seated causes OF lawlessness. are not
successful in protecting the cOmmun-
isy from further law breaking. Sec
ond. that fines are generally unjust TO
persons not well-tO-dO but Of mOder-
ate means.
on this point the report has this TO
say:
AS means for providing just pun
ishment as between offenders, the nm
ing system is open 10 attack. Where
petty fines are much used as in
Springfield. the general tendency is to
assess them in large and small sums
in proportion TO the seriousness OF
the Offemse and not after taking into
account the ability OF the offender to
pay.
Fines Extremely Unjust.
Speeding. for instance. will usually
bring q fine of one size, carrying con-
cealed weapons another, vagrancy an
Of the offender. commonly becomes
the measure of the fine. The result
is that as a means for punishment
fines are extremely just. To "A man
OF some means a fine of $500 or even
SIS. is slight punishment. But on the
laborer making Sis "a day. and per-
haps still more on his family which
is already a sufferer, even fine Of
S300 falls heavily.
The tense may be the same, end
the fine n ,ay be the same in two cases
and vet in the payment the poor man
may suffer the rich mans penalty
many tim es over.
"One hu ndred and lightweight per-
sons in Springfield went to Jail in 1915
because they we're not able to pay
their fines in whole or part. "A being
unable TO pay a fine of $500 plus
S1.75 of co SITS. hlany of the largest
fines were assessed against Migrants
who had no money at all. In such
cases fines result in nothing less than
sending people to Jail for being poor"
A severe arraignment Of the Illinois
police pension law is also contained
in a report.
Pension law is Bad.
The purpose of the pension law is
admirable says the report. but the
law itself is an example of very bad
legislation. In the first place it does
more IUdn ItLit w iANllN veterans WHO
have passed the period OF their use
fitness and provide for those injured
or the widows and children of those
killed on duty 1t permits any man
who has served 20 years on the force
TO retire on a life annuity of not less
than $500. Suppose q man enters the
service at 21 years of age. At Al years
OF age right in the prime of life, he
NAV retire and thus nearly 20 years
OF service will be lost 10 the city while
ne is perfectly competent to support
himself and family-retires and re-
ceives a pension from the public OF
Springfeld's 81 policemen. 70 will be
eligible 10 retire when under 80 years
OF age-six OF them under ! . years Of
age-and be paid $500 a year from
public funds for the rest Of their lives.
The state law should at once be
amended 10 make this impossible.
THE law is bad. in the second place