The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-02-21
Practical Education for Judges

TIE case of Ruth St Clair, conlely shop1ter given
a life sentence under the Baumes law has attracted
vide attention far more atrocious instance OF
judicial savagery has escaped comment nancy thaI
Of one Frank Singer.
He lust has been released from Sing Sing after
serving more than twenty years OF torty-year
sentence for robbery involving SOL and no 'o'eIce'
The Judge in the ST. Clair case apoogzed for MS
action and asked clenency. He was bound to impose
the sentence under the terms Of the habitua crln-
inal act.
No such eztenuation can be claimed for the Judge
who sentenced Singer. In imposing CIl4S eeliV0I0e
Judge Muqueen said:
~I really don't see any reason why I shouldn't
sentence VOL TO serve trty-nne years. eleven months
and tvertv-rine days in state prison" The judge
accordinglv. proceeded to impose this maximum
sentence for the crime.
There is only one way in which sentencing judges
ran be made to see why" they should not administer
such brutal sentences in q perfectly Aght-hearteo
manner. That is to force them to vivid personal
realization Of what their arbitrary acts really mean
to their victims.
Ten years twenty years. thirty years, all this means
little as an abstraction to the judge on the bench
He may add ten years to the mortal suffering OF
convicted man solely the basis OF digestive as
turances occurring on the morning Of imposing the
sentence.
In the old days judges might witness the results
Of their barbarsm while passing whippng-poStS OF ne
pilory. Or they might meet the streets their VIC
tins without ears, hands, eyes, or nose.
Today the anguish of prisoners is confined TO So-
lated cells and shops obscured within prison walls
The only way to make the judge acutely conscious
of the ultimate effect Of his severity is to compel MN
to 90 within prison walls for period and live the lie
of the average convict entirely devoid OF any faVorS
or special considerations.
A reasonable requirement would be TO compel every
Jdge sentencing criminals to spend at least two weeks
of each year in confinement in the institutions 10
which he commits prisoners. Let him sleep in
cramped, vermin-infested, foul-sHelllng ana Ill
ventilated cell.
Let him eat the inferior, n1onotonous lu-cooKeo
and INADEQUATE food in the prison dining room Let
him be jostled about by ocious and brutal guards
Let him be exploited by favored TRUSTEES
Let him work in shops presided over by greedy
contractors or lounge in ideness about the yard OF
prison with inadequate industries Even So ne couo
gain but little comprehension OF what it actually
means to serve prison sentence Tor ne Wouo kno"
that in a few days he would regain his freedom
Yet it would be an unusual judge who would not
no profoundly affected by such experience When
prisoner appeared before him again Tor sentence ne
no LONGER would be mere abstraction to be renamed
lightly to the hoosegow according to the verbal olc
tstes Of a law book.
He would be a hunI1n being consigned 10 roC III an
existence usually worse than death. Such procedure
not only would effect speedy reformation OF arol-
trarness in sentencing. 1t would probably 90 more
to promote prison reform in five years than mas oeen
accomplished by lay reformers in century