The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-09-28
PAROLE BEFORE SENTENCE

James A.. Kimball. state business
manager for Kansas, recommends
paroles by trial judge, before men start
serving terms IN the pen!tenttary. or
the reformatory. instead Of after them.
On this subject Mr.. Ktmball. who has
made a study OF prison conditions says:
The Judge could parole tho young
men TO their relatives. who are fire.
auently as much 10 blame as the prison
ers. You must bear in mind TINT most
0. cur prisoners today are young men,
some mere boys.
Under the present system the buck
Is passed to the board and the COVER
nor. The home communities send the
men to priosn. and then promptly sign
petitions for their release. Meanwhile.
our penitentiary and other penal instt-
buttons are o~vercrowded. Unless some
thing Is done. the taxpayers are going
to ave 70 dig deep for new prison
buildings"
~ The Intelllgencer has heretofore eX-
pressed views IN line with the above
quotation. At a recent meeting of the
kiwsnIs club IN this city. Warden Ter
'rell made tho statement hat there
were a large number OF young men m
the p~enitentiary who. IN his judgment
ought never to have been sent there. a
large number who would make good
citizens II given the chance. and who
certainly would not be helped In the
paths OF good citizenship by having the
stigma OF a prison term put upon them.
>cr by association with older ~convtcts
whom they are bound to meet within
the penitentIary walls.
In West Virginia We have established
a parole system. which under certain
conditions. gives a limited freedom 10
convicts whose conduct promises reform
and useful lives. conv!cts paroled are
still under tho supervision Of the peni-
.tentlsry authorities. They are required
10 keep IN touch with public officials.
and 10 conduct themselves with pro-
priety. This system has been found to
work we'll. Not many paroled %convicts
have ever been returned 10 the pen!ten-
ttary in West Virginia. Some have. but
the large majority. when paroled. have
stuck 10 the straight and narrow path.
or. at least. have lived up TO the aver
age Of good citizenship. This has been
the experience IN. other states,
Why not extend tn. parole system so
as 10 parole ~convicts before serving
their sentence. before entering the pri-
son walls, instead OF after they have
been confined and have worn the
stripes?
A parole board. with power to sus
pend sentences imposed by criminal
courts: 10 keep those sentences over the
heads OF offenders. and thereby to as
sure their correct behavior outside OF
the penItentiary. would. IN the Judgment
o. the I~ntelligencer. serve a very great
and a very good purpose. II goes
without saying. OF course. that there
are many offenders who ought to so TO
the peniten;!ary. and some ought to be
hanged. but there are many grades Of
onerses. and many different SHADES OF
c~rimInality. Too often We are inclined
to slap into the pcnitentlary. young mca
who make their first mis-step. and who.
~ given n second chance. would lead
very clean and useful lives.
The primary purpose Of our laws. our
courts ard our Institutions. should DO
to make good citizens. and not to make
criminals. Justice should be tempered
with humanity. and one wrong act
thoushrlessiy .onm!t:ed ought not 70
bias C-rsvsr the we ot n Young man
or young Woman.
ruCv NEyYI ATT pAV