The Mena weekly star., 1921-06-23
GIVEN A CHANCE
 MEN GO STRAIGHT
Society Is Blamed for Crimes of Ex convicts-Men Released From Prison Glad to Travel Right if
 Helped Says Expert.
(Written by .Margery Rex for the
 International News Service).

(Written by .Margery Rex for the
 International News Service).
 New York. June 20.-Circumstance, 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 man and injures him may perhaps bring benefactor who will change his whole life.
 Thru 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 I heard his history and that of the organiza- tion from it's secretary, Mrs. s. H. Me Intire, now in New York City. Mrs. McIntire, who is we'll informed on the various aspects of criminology, dis cussed some of them with me.
 Mine out of ten crimes are caused by circumstances" declares Mrs. Me- Intire-
 Sometimes these circumstances oc- cur early in the victims life, the re- suit of poor home surroundings. Then we call it bad environment, But it's really circumstance. Under the stress of excitement n9sn and women com init crime--for the first time. Maybe a prison sentence follows.
 Then after release or parole comes the delicate question of handling the ex-convict. That will be the whole turning point of his career
 'We claim that society is at fault for the second offender.
 "The general public must be edu- cated to accept the view that the ex- convict can be made it's worthy asset instead of a creature to be stunned and feared. That attitude is greatly to blame for the second offenders. Heretofore it has been Once crim- inal, always criminal All wrong, All that is needed is a helping hand
 "Give ex-convicts second chance and 90 per cent will make good.
 "The Prisoners Relief Society was started by a man who was given a second chance by his employers. But he felt after awhile that his presence perhaps was embarrassing to them So he resigned of his own free will.
 This is E. k. Budding, head of our organization, To defend himself in a quarrel he killed his uncle He had to go to prison for short time, and tho 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 Mir. Budding because he knows he is understood when he learns that his protector was once be- hind bars himself.
 "The paroled prisoner is better of than the released man, because to se- cure parole man must have a job awaiting him when freed.
 "We get the released man a first friend" in whatever city he wishes to go to. That means the friend" will get him job, and only the employer is to know the secret of the prison term.
 "This means lot to the convict released with only a cheap suit of clothes and $5 in his pocket.
 "Such man must be rescued or he will return to jail as a second offend CT, a hardened criminal
 "0ur society, which aims to do just this work of rescue, was founded about seven years ago. Now many important nien and women are back of it. They cooperate in getting jobs for those brought by circumstance in- to crime. We have helped over 56,- 900 men and women both, since our beginning.
 @Men eligible for parole, or about to be released, can write to us and we send them blanks to fill out; we also send blank to the warden of the prison. If the convict Is farmer, plumber, doctor, lawyer--no matter what-we get him work in his own line.
 Picture the plight of the man out of prison after a terml He feels the world is against him and he is not far from right in his judgment He finds it hard to deal with people. GOVERNMENT EYHTRTTS