Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-10-14
MEMBERS OF PAROLE BOARD
ADOPT NEW RULES RELATING
TO PRISONERS.
TO COMPILE FACTS ABOUT
EACH CONVICTED MAN
Closer Supervision Of ParoIed Prison.
ers to Be One Of New Reform Meas
ures-Board to Hold Six Meetings
Per Year and to Visit Prisons More
Frequently.
.ecial to Times-Republican.

| DOdrQ or pdLoie loodS ahiouiiSSu
important changes in its rules
and it's plans of work. The board
has decided to visit prisons Of
tener than has been the plan here
tofore, TO make hearings earlier and
to give closer supervision Of parnied
prisoners. An effort is TO be made
TO reach exceptional and merltoTious
cases early and to more readily place
men out after they are voted parole
AS soon as a man enters prison he
makes an inmates statement bio
graphical in its nature, and gives ref
ereuces. An investigation is taken up
from the office of the board CORE
spondence with these references and
the judge and county attorney are
asked for letters concerning the case
and the man. and the clerk of the
court is asked for the grand jury tes-
timony. if there is any, so the board
early has considerable information
about the prisoner Then at meet
ing OF the board al the prison the pris-
oner is called in for personal inter-
view.
AT the time of the organization OF
the board in 1907 it adopted plan OF
having this interview eleven or twelve
months after the prisoner entered
prison About tvs years ago this was
changed to interviewing him as near
nine months as possible after he went
in and now the rule Is being changed
so as to interview him as near six
months as possible after he goes in.
The Interviews are being made earlier
for two reasons One is so that In
vestigations of the prisoners may be
taken UP earlier Sd the board may
have early knowledge Of the case and
the man The other is SO that I'M
usually meritorious cases may be
passed on earlier than heretofore.
Six Meetings Per Year.
From the organization of the board
it has had its regular meetings four
times a year, commencing the first
Monday in January. April, June and
October. The board Is now changing
the rule TO meet the first Monday in
February. April, June. August. Octo-
Der and December, making six meet
ings a year. The purpose Of this
change is to give more prompt hear
ings to prisoners. to distribute the
work along more evenly. and to give
more frequent visits to the prisons.
The condition has been that toward
the end of each term the board has
paroled in the netghborhood Of fifty
men in a short time and the conse-
quence has been they have been
punched up SO it was impossible to
get some Of them out to good jobs for
several weeks. Making the terms
more frequent will distribute the work
along more evenly and will doubtless
result in getting the men out more
promptly after they are voted a pa
role Another change the board has
recently made is to vote paroles to
some Of the best of the continued men
while it was a the prison, and before
it returned to the office. The tendency
of this change Is to more promptly
release the men and to distribute them
along and not bunch them up.
Several other small changes are be-
| ing made in the rules if an effort to
! facilitate the work. Copy Of the re-
vised rules will soon be in the hands
of the printer.
Improved Conditions.
Since the employment Of second
parole agent few months ago there
! is apparent an improved condition
among paroled men. 1t is now posi-
| bic to place men more quickly in good
! jobs after they are paroled and to visit
| them more frequently during their
year on parole, and TO more quickly
respond to their calls when they are
| in trouble. The number absconding
and the number who are having to be
sent back to prison for violations have
/ perceptlbly diminished. The rules have
| been amended in some particulars and
the practice has been developed in
! handling the 200 or more who are con-
! stantly on parole so as to make the
most practical possible efforts to help
( them to become re-established as pro-
| ducers outside instead Of state charges
/ inside They are advised and assisted
In saving portion of their earnings.
The average wage received during
August Of this year Of men paroled as