East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-06-22
SOCIETY IS BLAMED
FOR CRIMES Of MANY
CONNCTS RELEASED
Man Given Fair Chance When
He Comes from Prison Glad
to- go Straight Says Expert.

NEW YORK, June 22.-(Written by
Margery Rex for the |. y. S.)-Cir-
cumstance, oftener than viciousness. is
the cause of crime. And good fortune
is just as frequently attributable to
this strange combination of events.
Men have stumbled over rich bits OF
ore; the we'll dug for water. may spout
wealth bringing oil; the auto that hits
a man and Injuries him may perhaps
bring benefactor who will change his
whole life.
Through an odd series of happenings
the Prisoners Relief Society of Wash
ington. d. c.. was brought into being
by f. E. budding. who had once been
a prisoner himself. Recently heard
his history and that OF the organiza
tion from its secretary. Mrs. S. II. Nc
Intire, now in New York City. Mrs.
McIntire, who is well informed on the
various aspects OF criminology, dis
cussed some of them with me.
Nine out of ten crimes are caused
.ntire.
Sometimes these circumstances oc-
cur early in the victims life, the result
of poor horne surroundings. Then we
lcall it bad environment. But it's real
lly circumstance Under the stress of
excitement men and women commit
crime-for the first time. Maybe a
prison sentence follows.
Release Is Mans Turning Point.
Then after release or parole comes
the delicate question Of handling the
ex-conviot. That will be the whole
turning point Of his career.
I'VE claim that society is at fault for
the second offender.
The general public must be educat-
ed to accept the view that the ex-con-
Ivict can be made its worthy asset in
stead Of a creature to be Stunned and
feared. That attitude is greatly to
blame for the second offenders. Here
tofore it has been "Once criminal al
ways a criminal All wrong. All that
is needed is a helping hand.
Give eX-convicts a second chance
land 80 per cent will make good.
The Prisoners Relief Society was
started by a man who was given a Sec
ond chance by his employers. But he
felt after awhile that his presence per-
haps was embarrassing to them. so he
resigned of his own free Will.
This is r. r. budding. head Of our
organization. To defend himself in n
quarrel he killed his uncle. He had to
go to prison for short time and,
Though brief. the term made him an
ex-convict in the eyes Of the world.
He devoted himself to the convict,
and now he is very successful in help
ing other men to come back.
The ex-convict IS not afraid to tell
his troubles to Mr.. budding because he
knows he is understood when he learns
that his protector was once behind the
bars himself
THE paroled- prisoner is better off
than the released man, because to Sc
cure parole a man must have job
Iawaiting him when freed.
First Friend" Looks After Man.
I'VE get the released man a first
friend in whatever city he wishes to
go to. That means the friend will get
h m job. and only the employer is to
know the secret of the prison term.
This means lot to the convict re-
leased with only cheap suit of clothes
and IS in his pocket.
Such man must be reacued or he
, will return to Jail as a second Offend
er, a hardened or minal.
/ "Our society which n ms to do just
this work Of rescue, was founded about
seven years ago Now many important
men and women are back Of it. They
cooperate in getting jobs for those
brought by circumstance into crime.
We have helped over $4,000 men and
women both since our beginning.
/ Men eligible for parole or about to
| be released. can write us and we send
them blanks to fill out; we also send
blank to the warden OF the prison. II
the convict is farmer, plumber, doc
tor, lawyer-no matter what-we get
him work in his own line.
picture the plight OF the man out
Of prison after a term! He feels the
world is againts him and he is not far
from right in his Judgment. He finds
II hard to deal with people.
DubbIng Given Many Rebuffs
THAT was the identical experience
of our head, Mr.. budding. Though his
firm. in Chicago. was very willing TO
take him back. others were not so
kind. He was made TO feel his dis
grace by customers and associates. 50
he has consecrated his life to helping
other men.
In Washington alone we have plae-