The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1922-01-05

ally IN the study Of institution die
ietcs. The last item is especially
noted because the result Of the adj
vice given By the university was the
appointment Of trained dietifian,
who has secured. By scientific selec-
ton Of the articles Of food for the
various Institutions. not only greater
wen being Of the inmates espcci
ally at Greendale where youth gave
quick response to the substitution
Of milk for tea and coffee l-bu. al
50 a secondary though highly i'm
portant result Of reducing the cost
Of maintenance by some hundreds Of
dollars a month. The state geoIo-
gist has given assistance in incress-
ing the water supplies; the superin-
tendent of public instruction has
been of service in advising in re-
gard to the educational work that
has been further developed n three
of the institutions. and the bureau
of fire prevention and rates. at the
request Of the board, made an ex-
animation of eli the public institu-
tons in order 70 re6nce the risk of
fire to a minimum.
To go back to the inmates of the
Institutions and their care, of all
the different, specialized avenues Of
approach to this general problem Of
salvaging humanity, the one which
presents the most vital interest to
the onlooker, and makes him fairly
sit on the edge of his chair (if he
is lucky enough to be presently is the
granting of paroles to prisoners who
under the law have become eligible
for consideration.
When the board was appointed, an
investigation of the records showed
that there were between three and
four hundred prisoners in the re-
formatory at Frankfort and the pen
itentiary at Eddyville who had been
eligible for parole consideration for
periods of time varying from weeks
and months to ten years; these men,
having no friends at court" or any
where else, with no money to com
mand the services of an attorney,
were simply lost to the outside world.
From the legal viewpoint, the sub
ject of parole has been unduly com
plicated by the many changes that
have been made in the statutes; at
present the provisions of the law
which have been on the statute books
for several years, are as follows:
az No application can be fled for
parole until after a prisoner has
been confined in one of the penal in
situations of this state for at least
half of the sentence imposed upon
him by the court in which he was
convicted.
~ The person convicted for life,
or sentenced for sixteen years OF
longer, shall not be allowed to apply
for parole until eight years of his
sentence have elapsed.
(3) A previous conviction to a
county jail adds six months to the
minimum term, while each previous
conviction to the penitentiary adds
year to the time he must serve be-
fore he is privileged to file an appi-
cation for parole.
az Such prisoner is allowed
Communication ("good time'') of seven
days in each month the first year Of
his confinement, eight days the sec
ond year and ten days the third year
and after as reward Of good con-
duet.
90 If the Board of Charities and
Corrections wishes to grant the pa
role-which is not considered as a
'ested right Of the prisoner, but as
matter of grace extended to him
by the governor in writing, giving
not only the prisoners record while
serving his sentence, but the result
Of the boards investigation of the
mans record previous to his convic-
ton, together with a contract for
employment by a reputable person,
and the assurance Of a home in
reputable family. If the governor
approves the parole, it is given the
prisoner, and he is provided, at the
expense of the commonwealth, with
suit of clothes, transportation to
the county in which he secured en-
ployment, and So in cash.
No part of the work of the board
has shown so complete a reversal
Of policy as the system of granting
Of paroles. Previous to 1920 an APP
location for parole consideration was
rekuired from prisoners and the fact
that the application woold be made