Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-18
UNEXPECTED FREEDOM
COMES TO PRISONERS
More Than Fifty Convicts Will Bene-
fit Under New State
Law.
NOW GET MORE TIME OH
Act of Last Legislature Grants Ten
Days Each Month Instead of Four
for Good Behavior In Penitentiary
and Road Camps.

Quite Unexpectedly. the prison doors
viii open next week to twoscore or
more OF State prisoners confined in the
penitentiary or doing time in the va
rious road camps. The convicts will
be given their liberty as the result OF
the new law. which went into effect
yesterday. which increases the credit
allowance for good behavior from four
days TO ten days a month.
Under the old system of deducting
Tor good behavior. the prisoner was
given credit Immediately upon his
entrance in the penitcutiary for four
lays a month on his whole term. Thus.
II prisoner were sentenced TO serve
hVeEears. he was at once credited with
a sood-behavior allowance Of 2i0 days
and the release date fixed accordingly.
Ihis release date was advanced as the
prisoner committed breaches Of the
prison rules, in accordance with the
demerit system in force.
Accordingly. there are now large
number OF prisoners who. with the
four-day deductions to their credit.
have only short time more to serve.
In the opinion of the Attoruev-tien-
eral the new law is susceptible OF a
retrospective application. Thus, the
Attorney General holds, a prisoner In
custody on and after June Il, when
the new law went into effect. is en-
tnCTpaE ed
good BEHAVIOR deductions allowed by
the new act.
FIFTY MEN WILL GET
UNEXPECTED LIBERTY
The application of the new law 10
the expiring terms of Il large number
Of prisoners will bring their terms TO
an end at once. Clerks In the Office
OF Superintendent j. b. Wood yester-
day were enga ged in going over the
,h hui
names OF convicts who will beneht by
the new law. Major Wood was unable
Yesterday to give the exact number Of
prisoners who will benefit. but thought
the number Will probably be in excess
Of nifty.
Under the law. there can be no dis
charges Of this nature without the APP
prevail OF the Governor, and ithc mat
ter has been taken up with him II
Is not believed that the Governor will
tnterpose any objections. since he took
a prominent part In urging the penal
reforms. OF which the new law was
an important feature.
Convicts who will benefit under the
new law are scattered over many sec
tons OF the state. 4 large number are
AT the road camps. They will he noti-
fed OF their good fortune as soon as
the list Of bcueticinries has been COM
pleted. perhaps, tomorrow or on Tues
day.
Under a ruling Of the Attorney Cen
eral. given 10 Major Wood yesterday.
liberal policy viii be followed by
the penitentiary In applying tho new
law. The act authorizes a deduction
OF ten days for every month that a
convict appears TO have faithfully OBJ
served the rules and requirements Of
the prison. The good conduct allow
ance, however, the new law provides,
shall bc forfeited If the convict com =
mits a breach Of prison rules punish
able by stripes or for escape or at
tempted escape.
OPINION RENDERED.
BY ATrOHNEY-GE
Major wood asked for advice AZ 20
how the monthly credit IS TO be APP
Piled, and as to whether the proviso
that the violation of prison rules.
which carry with them a forfeiture Of
the allowance> applies TO the allowance
made during the current year OF the
prisoners confinement. or TO all allow
ances earned by him up TO that time.
On these points Attorney General
Pollard ruled yesterday as follows:
AS TO the first proposition. while
the law as written would seem TO in.
dcate that the convic. should serve
each month before receiving a ten days
allowance FOR good conduct. the Drac-
tical effect OF such method OF com
putting his credit allowance for good
''''N"N' "0''' '' ~ N'tP al PIESoHeF
sentenced, for example. for one year
confined go days allowing him 4 good
conduct credit OF only ninety days for
the year. while II he has faithfully
observed the rules and regulations OF
the prison he should be entitled 20 ten
DAYS a month out of the whole period
Of his one years sentence, or 40 days.
This allowance of 40 days would make
the period Of his confinement end on
the 2i0th day.
My conclusion is that. taking one
wears sentence as a basil ~ cop,nrt,