Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-24
STATE TO QUIT
HONOR SYSTEM.
John L. Whitman Outlines ReTOiu-
ionary Reforms and LegiSla-
tiOD Regarding Parole.
SEPARATE MORONs FOREVER
Plan Keeps Criminaily Inclined
Apart from Outside Word
Social Life.

The Chicago Herald and Examin-
er Of Chicago prints the appended
dispatch from a special staff cor
respondent in Springfield:
Springfield, Ill. Jan. 23.-John
L. whitman. superintendent of pris-
ons, tonight announced revolution
airy reforms in Illinois penal insti-
tutions and outlined contemplated
legislation carrying them into eff
feet.
The honor" and "self-govern-
ing" systems are abolished and tn
cooperative plan substituted.
Briefly, the reforms instituted
and the legislation 10 be asked will,
It Is believed. solve the following
great problems:
l. Separate from free society
forever the low grade moron"
2. Fit the convict for parole and
eventual reception back into soCi-
ETY..
Mr. Whitman's announcement
follows repeated conferences with
Chicago police officials, judges and
prison workers and Illinois prison
officials. II bears the approval of
Governor Lowden.
The plan. which will probably
live in history as the Whitman
plan is the result of long months
of joint effort on the part of Gov
ernor Lowden. Mr. Whitman,
Charles H Thorne. director of the
departm Of public welfare, and
VIII Colvin. superintendent of par
dons and paroles.
Briefly synopsizing Mr. Whit
mans announcement, the new plan
and its attendant legislation con-
templates the following innova-
tons:
The separation Of the mentally
deficient, or moron. from the or
dir ary convict.
Ultimately the legislation of per
petual detention, after proper proof
of his delinquency, and his contin-
ual training from the moment of
his conviction for re-entrance into
society under his parole.
No paroles whatsoever to be
granted from groups one or two
and no parole to be granted within
one years time Of Incarceration.
What Whitman Says.
Mr. Whitman in announcing the
plans, said:
THE new plan is the result of
q realization that all Convicts must
sooner or later be released from
restraint Our duty, then, is to
prepare them for Remittance into
society
We must first prepare them for
parole and then properly supervise
that parole. To do this successful
y We propose to follow the follow
ing plans in the administration Of
our prisons:
Study of the individuals is to
be started Immediately upon their
conviction with a view to proper
understanding of their individual
lty and their peculiar cases.
Those found mentally deficient
and incurabIe. that class also
known as morons. or the adult with
the mind of a child. where mental
condition is responsible for crimi-
nal instinct. will be placed under
perpetual supervision and restraint.
Temporarily this class will be
cared fer as best we may be
able. Ultimately we will be COM
PEELED to build an institution for
their care. Finally. too. We pro-
pose by law to provide for the sep
afation of this class from society
whether they have committed
crime or not 1t is not safe to leave
them at large.
The plan further contemplates
that eventually this class will be
sent direct to a restraining institu-
ton of the kind above mentioned,
rather than being first sentenced to
d penal institution"