The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-03-24
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES


IN our current drive for economy in state and
Il nation, one very obvious and desirable
avenue of saving apparently has been over
looked. We very safely could make far wider
use of parole in dealing with our criminal popu-
lation. The possibility of saving very extern
sively through sane use of the parole system
has been set forth in an able statement by
Warden E. Lawes of Sing Sing:
Gall agencies show that our steadily mount
ing penal costs are exorbtant in comparison
to results obtained. Since 1920, the general
population of our state has increased only Is
per cent while our penal population has in
creased over IA per cent.
This tremendous increase is mainly due to
the fact that the average sentence imposed in
our state is more than double the average
sentence imposed by all other states and the
federal government combined.
"It must be remembered that more than 90
per cent of all those sent to prison eventually
return to your midst. Although released from
prison. they are placed under strict parole SUPER
vision during the transition period when the
prisoner leaves the abnormal life of a penal
community to the time when he has demon
strated his rehabilitation.
ut costs an average of $435.19 per year to
keep felon in prison but only $46.81 to super
wise him on parole. The last report shows that
of $500 cases, over SO per cent either completed
or were continued on parole.
"UnleSs we extend our present parole system
we are faced with the imperative necessity of
spending many more millions of dollars for new
prison construction and maintenance. 1t is
evident that our parole eligibility laws should be
made more flexible. Such program does not
result in wholesale release of prisoners because
careful selection of paroles is the basis OF a
successful parole system.
TN URING my thirty years experience in
- prison work. have seen in operation
many methods for the dininution of crime.
Aside from purely preventive measures, extern
sion of the parole system has been proved the
most economically sound and socially benef1cent
deterrent to further criminality."
Such an extension of the parole system as
Warden Lawes recommends would not only di-
rectly advance the cause of economy. 1t also
would promote the reformation of the criminal
and thus greatly reduce our Scandalous crime
bill. Parole permits reformational work IN the
environment to which the ex-convict must ad-
Just himself if he is to go straight. parole
officer can do much more effective work than
a prison official who must operate in the artl-
fetal atmosphere of penal institution
Those who think such proposition Is a
novel and dangerous suggestion may be referred
to an article by j. S. May, published in 1847 in
the Fourth Annual Report of the Prison ASsocia-
ton of New York:
"You ask me for how long time he should
be sentenced to such confinement? Obviously,
it seems to me- until the evil disposition is re-
moved from his heart; until his disqualification
to go at large no longer exists; that is, until he
is reformed man. How long this may be, no
human sagacity certainly can predetermine.
ct HAVE, therefore, for many years been OF
l. the opinion that no discretion should be
conferred on our judges in regard to the length
of convict's confinement that no term OF time
should be affixed to any sentence OF the court.
The offender should be adjudged to undergo the
duress and the discipline of the prison. house, not
for weeks, months or years. but until that end
for which alone he should be put there Is &C
complshed: that is, until reformation has ev1-
IDENTIFY been effected.
"All attempts by our legislators and ministers
Of criminal jurisprudence to decide upon the de-
gree of crininaity in different offenders must be
abortiye, because only Omniscience is competent
to do this Even if human wisdom can aScer-
tain the different quantities of evil flowing
through society from the commission of different
crimes surely no legislators or judges can be
wise enough to determine the comparative
wckedneSs of those who have committed these
crimes.
1.-THE man who has been convicted only of a
petty larceny may be found, when subjected
to prison discipline, much more incorrigible
offender than another who committed highway
burglary or arson. :. One Of the
greatest improvements in the administration of
our penal code would be to withhold from the
Judges all discretion as to the time for which
convicts shall be confined. 80"
It is nearly a century since these words
were uttered 1t is high time that we should
take their import more seriously.