The Jones County news., 1922-04-18

tefesied in four boys who appeared
in court Charged NitA Il lrsi and
somewhat ts'f'ai oGeree. Ilc inter-
ecaed Tor them. senterce was slsplsi.
ed. and lafef through the insirumcnfAl-
ity vf Mr Dauanerfy the boys we're
given chance 10 make good. All y
them rose 10 responsible positions ln
life. They mude good.
It seems likely that this personal In
terest in first offenders and IN the
chance " their salvation has induced
the chief law officer Of the government
10 recommend that an industrial and
penal institution shall be established
az Camp Grant. H., for convicted first
offenders against the federal law.
President Harding has given the plan
bis sanction.
The bare news Of the proposal al.
ready has been printed. It may not
be unlnterestlng TO know that crimi.
nOloglsts think that. II the records
could be obtained IA full and studied
carefully it would be found there are
fewer young second offenders against
the federal law than there are against
the state laws.
OF course nearly every federal law
has a state law somewhat similar TO
II. and perhaps better way TO put
the matter would be 10 suy that the
belief seems to be that IA proportion
10 numbers more first offenders wno
have served terms in federal prisons
are reclaimed than nrst offenders who
have served their terms in state pris-
ous.
Look Lightly on Some Laws.
There nre certain offenses against the
federal law which TO some easy-going
minds do not appear TO be ofenses ut
all. Men aud women who would not
steal postage stump. even II lis theft
was 10 save them walk Of five miles
To post Office VIII try To bent the
governments tariff laws and are not
nt an instrumentation apparently
when they succeed In beating its pro-
hihton laws.
There are hundreds Of first offenders
against the federal government who
have looked an certain OF the statutes
as having been made to be broken.
There probably are great many
young men IA the federal prisons
who do not realize today that their
crime really was crime. Instead
of being criminals some Of these young
men simply have warped moral view
point. This seems to be understood
by some Of the present prison officials
Of the government and by men in Of
fee elsewhere.
II seems likely that the attorney gen
oral Is overconndent when he says nine
out Of ten Of the first offenders can
be reclaimed. There probably Is no
such record OF salvation as this to be
found in any of the reformatory In
stitutions IN the United States. II Is
said that stralghtaway prisons where
close confinement and hard labor ARE
the rules 10 not reform n fifth Of their
lnmates. If state reformatOrles are
able TO bring back into the fold OF
grnce one-haf of the black sheer
which have broken away, the officials
probably consider that their work JUS.
tldes itself many times over.
Danger Of Favoritsm.
II has not yet been decided whether
the recommendation for the legislation
to- mike the Camp Grant institptiou
possible shall include IN It a provision
that the first Offenders shall be sent
by the courts TO existing federal pris
ons. or whether the offenders shall be
sent direct to the reformatory.
There seems to be division Of opin.
ion IN this matter. If the matter Of
the selection Of federal prisoners in
the regular institutions for transfer to
the reformatories shall be left in the
hands of the wardens favoritism may
play it's part. on the other hand, II
this course IS followed an opportunity
would be given TO determine which Of
the prisoners are best fitted for early
reformatory methods.
II all the first offenders are to be
sent to the reformatOry direct from
the scene OF sentence it might receive
men past reform and whose example
would make difficult the reformation
Of others more susceptible to guiding
influences,
It Is not known yet in Washington
definitely what strength of opposition
will develop to the plan for turning
Camp Grant into reformatory, but Il
seems likely today that authority will
be given for the establishment of this
school prison.