Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-04-07

: tlcs SHOW but W per cent committed for
theft. alone induces the thought
That the public is laying too much for
protection OF roperty and too little for
human life; and the opinion seems justi-
hed that 80 per cent of the enormous cost
might be eliminated-that one-half of it
could oe dispensed with were it not for
politics.. red tape, and ancient custom. The
ieasiblilty of the saving is borne out by
an analysis of the parole laws of the 4s
States III the union and the government.
Most of the states have q parole law.
The majority of them nave an indetermi-
nate sentence law as we'll. The average
per cent of prisoners making good on pa
role under different laws in the 48 states
and the laws of the United States. is 80.
Maryland. with Il definite sentence and
one-thtrd service before parole, claims 100
per cent: the United States government
with a definite sentence and one-third SER
vice before parole. claims so. North Da-
kota With an lndeterminate sentence and
parole at the end of the minimum pre-
scrlbed by law, has 9e per cent making
good. and there are six other states which
claim 50 per cent. Eight claim not less
than 30 per cent. and all of them are
above 10 except New Hampshire.
LII 30 per cent of all the prisoners paroled
from all the penitentiarfes In the 4S states
and the United States prisons. are making
good. and the cost of maintaining and SUI
hSIN iSiil lIlOSe peHIltnJldFleS 1S even not
more than $1,000. OOO.O 900 a year, it would
seem the policy of good government to
parole more prisoners. Instead of keeping
Them at such an enormous expense to the
taxpayers of the country, release them un-
der a system which is claimed to be good.
and permit them on parole to carr their
own living and care for the families which
the public and charity is supporting.
The really criminal element in peniten-
tlarles is moi large. a large number of
men are kept in close confinement for
some act which any one probably would
nave committed under the same stress OF
circumstances They are not criminals.
They are men who have come under the
criminal law instead of the civil law: and
really there does not seem any reason
Tor OBTAINING so many OF them for long
periods at so great a cost In dollars and
manhood when the same corrective pur-
pose would be accomplished If thu were
permitted to go on parole and wtVk out
their owl, salvation under the laws re-
stricttons. They would add just so much
to the economic wealth of the state. and
at the same time they would relieve it OF
economic loss by supporting their own
families.
Penttentiaries should be for people who
absolutely will not work, or who will not
make 4 proper effort to sustain their part
OF the neral and economic burdens of the
world. Mere failure upon the part of
those inclined to do their duty should. in
n sense, be regarded as analogous to the
man who fails in business and wants to
try again. AS an economic, moral. and so
cial shibboleth try, try, and try again. is
worth thousands of dollars to the state
that will recognize and adopt 1T with the
alternative of absolute. unqualified seques-
tration of the man who will not try.
In any event concession must he made
that our criminal laws and present GRIM
inal practices are disastrous, and are deci-
mating in morals and money and economic
value.