Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-12-04


has adopted the present parole officer
as their official adviser. They require
him to write up each case and his per-
|sonal views are invariably injected in
to 1t. This is in spite of the law vi,
filming his duties as pertaining to con.
victs only after they have been paroled.
Before that time prisoners legally are
and morally should be entirely in the
care and charge ofthe warden 1t is
common knowledge at the pcnitentiary
and among parolcd men. that prison
conduct has little to do with ones get.
ting out. In fact. it is the belief Of
most prisoners that recommendation by
the. warden, based on good conduct, is
a dctriment when it comes to getting
out, as ii is almost impossible to got
a parole over the wishes ofthe parole
officer
! Keller Boasts of Power.
Gin fact, he freely boasts of this ar
bitrary power to, the prisoners and they
know from experience he has and can
make his threats good. They know that
even if they get the recommendation of
the parole board that he can still go
to the governor and stop the parole, as
has actually been done. Then even aft
or they are signed by the governor, he
has the power Of recommending re-
vocation, which recommendations are
usually followed. This power in the
hands of one not responsible to the war
den is vicious and has already under
mined the administrations of three good
wardens.
i'The parole board itself may even
be unconscious of the power he exer-
cises, but as the board draws no pay
1 from the state and meets only once a
month they delegate most Of their work
! to, and get most of their information
4 from, some one else. If good conduct
lathe penitcntiary cannot be consider
ed in granting paroles, then one Of the
greatest inducement toward reforma-
tion is destroyed. Information regard
ling their conduct cannot properly come
\ from any source but the warden.
i "To further assist in curtailing the
power and authority of the warden
among the prisoners, a law has been
i passed requiring every circuit judge
and district attorney to report on the
conditions of each prisoner at the time
he is sent to the penitentiary. They re-
port on his family life, history, eduea
tion, etc. 1t is recommended that this
llaw be amended requiring these officers
to report to the warden who is to be
ltheir official custodian, so that he may
|, be properly advised in regard to thu
, method of treatment and also the prob
} ability of their reformation. 1t is be
J lievod that from such information anc
from the information obtained person
: Ially and through subordinates at th'
) pcnitentiary, the warden is the person
best suited to recommend prisoners fo
5 parole. If the warden has authority u
reward good conduct by a speedier pa
) role or to punish bad conduct by long
er prison term, much good will be dom
to all the prisoners, less expense will
D be involved in their care and more har
] mony aud less turmoil will exist q
the penitentiary.
. Should Change Law.
Q ''In this state, during a considerable
; period of time, those convicted Of Grim
!. were sentenced by the judge who trio
Z the case. Tho law prescribed then a
lit does now certain maximum an
G minimum within which the judge fixe
Ella definite sentence. By operation 0
. law, the prisoner was able to reduce hi
I sentence somewhat by being goo
$ prisoner. In other words, he got goo
+ conduct time. Then the indcterninat
2 sentence law was passed, which, wit
Q the amendments thereto made She judg
O who had tried case and heard the es
. idenee a mere figurehead. In effec
: practically all the judge could do, j
u case Of first conviction, was to az
IS wise the prisoner of the minimum an
q maximum penalty provided by law. Th
d parole board, as a matter Of fact, fixc