Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-11-27


we can instill good citizenship by the
healthful influence of environment, can
strengthen the will power of the nat
urally weak through helpful influences,
we shall have left only the 1ncorr1g1ble
born with diseased mind or body or
both-and he must ever be care to
the state.
A public defender should be employed
in every county. The accused, igno-
rant of legal procedure and without
money, often receives more severe
sentence than he deserves because he
had no means of fully presenting his
case Often he serves his term, sui
lenly resentful, believing that he did
not have a fair chance. He is entitled
to that chance through represen-
tation by an attorney appointed by the
judge, but by counsel with a direct
interest in seeing that all the facts
are placed before the court.
Kansas has the indetermfnate SEN
tence and the parole system. In the
boys and girls schools two years of
custody are deemed necessary to start
the inmates on the right road; in the
state reformatory at least one year is
required, with longer time according
to the individual case. In the peniten-
tiary, the inmate is sentenced unless
for murder or treason for not less than
a minimum and not more than a max
1Iuum C0TIn EAC0pLlOndl CIRCUMSTANCES
sometimes make it advisable to shorten
the confinement below the minimum,
either by Governors pardon or parole
as in the penitentiary, or by the Pa
role Board as in other institutions.
Every parole is to some extent a
guess, but taking Kansas institutions
as a whole, 80 per cent of the inmates
paroled by the Board and Governor
make good" that is, they go back
into society and for at least two years
keep themselves free from violation of
law. Perhaps some relapse later, but
the greater portion live honest lives.
The record made in the institution,
the character of the individual and the
opportunity offered for success outside
must decide every case. Sometimes is
also to be considered a family suffer
ing far more than the inmate-and
there is no better rein on wrong i'm
pulses than the care of helpless ones.
Kansas is in the front rank among the
states in the number of paroled in
mates who succeed.
The year or two years during which
the parole is in effect with regular re-
ports is the crucial period of reform.
In the case of the younger men and
the girls there is needed the greatest
care to see that regular employment
is obtained and that conditions are en-
couraging to right living. Too many
who enter prison have records that lead
through reformatories and reform
schools. The state could well spend
more money on parole work for the
young than take the chance of future
lapses in conduct. 1t is often a hard
row for the person who is known to
have been convicted, and society is
naturally suspicious because of past
records. When the unfortunate shows
a willingness to help himself, there
are usually plenty of good men and
good women who will assist him
but much can be done by the state
through its officers to aid in this help
fu1ness.
For the youthful offenders nothing Is
so good as manual labor and the trades
departments should be expanded in the
institutions for that class. Indeed 1t
can well be done in the penitentiary,
for the man who knows a trade has q
better chance when he goes out than