Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-22
REPUBLICAN,. MARsHALLrOwN NOVEMBER 2 1915

| tients at some of the institutions. Al
| ore of our state hospitals some hope
! lessly demented patients are making
| baskets
There are 1887 men confined in the
| penitentiary and reformatory in Iowa
y large per cent of these have in years
past been working on contract. each
man being leased to contractor for
! a stated sum per day, usually from
| fifty to seventy cents the state fur
| nishing lodging. clothing. food and
medical attention. The last contract
will terminate in December, 1917.
The board of control has started
the manufacture OF butter tubs at the
.Anamosa reformatory for state ac-
count. This product is sold in the
open market and the results have beer
Very satisfactory.
Arrangements are being made for
; starting the manufacture of chairs al
the Fort Madison penitentiary. which
VIII give employ t,i-fit ~ 100 men. This
state is also manufact uring in small
way automobile trucks and brooms at
the penitentiary. About lis men from
the penitentiary and about twenty-five J
from the reformatory have been en-
ploye,i in camps working on roads and
public works without armed guards
These men receive the regular wage
that free labor receives in the locality
where the work is being done Not
more than twenty per cent Of the pop
ulatfon OF the penitentiary can be safe
ly worked out Of doors without armed
guards. and it would not pay to work
prisoners on tile outside away from the
institution if they have to be guarded.
Arrangements must be made in this
state for the employment of about
two fffths of the prisoners inside the
institutions at Anamosa and Fort
Madison. This work should be manu-
featuring of goods for state account
and for state use and the balance
placed on the market. The industry
should be selected 20 Interfere as little
as possible with Industries already es-
tahiished in the state II is not prac-
teal or profitable 10 confins prison
labor to manufacturing goods for state
use only
Considering prison industries in
Iowa. il must always be taken into
consideration that the industry must
De such as viii benefit the prisoner
and teach him something that he can
make livelihood at when ne goes on
the OUTSIDE. Tree man,
AS have said the Iowa parole sys-
reln Is based on the statute in 1907. and
that portion authorizing parole is as
follows:
The board of parole shall have
power TO establish rules and regula-
tons under which il may allow pris
oners within the penisen,iary other
than prisoners serving life terms to go
upon parole outside the penitent:ary.
but TO remain in the legal custody of
the wardens and under the control OF
the board of parole and subject at any
time 10 be taken back and confined
within the psnitentiary
Statute Not Perfect
That - the language OF the statute.
Under that provision the board of pa
role having wide authority to esta blish
rules and regula tons. has built up the
parole system. Now l am asked 10
speak Of its advantages and defects OF
course / believe in its advantages. /
believe they are numerous and irnpor-
tanr Believing as I DO in the moro
modern theories that Imprisonment is
less Cor punishment than for the re-
formation and upbuilding of the Of
fender. and that his release should be
made as soon as the interests Of ssocie-
" viii not suffer thereby. and when
he gives evidence of repentance and re-
formation. believing in all these earn
estly believe ii is the bounden duty Of
the state to assist the men when thus
in an effort to become re-es-
tabiished as good law-abiding and
self sustaining citizen. From away be-
fore the days that Victor Hugo go
graphically described the tragic career
of Jean VaIgean down 10 a few years
ego. the man released from prison had