Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-03-03


or the protection Of society from
contagion.
With many of our prison inmates
this analogy holds true. Those poten-
TALLY dangerous individuals who can
not be cured should be kept in prison
indefinitely. But because occasionally
an anti-social convalescent uses his
crutch as a club, must We ever after
deny all other convalescent individuals
this assistance. Psychiatry and the
social sciences may help us to diagnose
the permanently dangerous individual.
Politics will not.
AMERICAN ierms Long,
No fear need be had that adequate
sentences will not be served. Foreign
observers have repeatedly noted that
American sentences are the longest In
the world. While still falling far short
OF serving the maximum time. those
prisoners VINO are released from prison
| a longer time in the institutions than
those on a definite sentence where the
court decided the length thereof.
It is quite simple for the courts to
adjust their sentences to prescribe the
proper amount Of service in the prison
to be followed by parole supervision
term. A sentence Of eight years,
knowing In advance that perhaps only
about four years will be spent In
prison and the last four years under
supervision, is safer than a sentence
of four years every day Of which must
be served,
The Census Bureau figures show
that during 1881 some $3.50 persons
were admitted to prison. During 1882
a total Of 1883 were admitted to
prison and 1901 were so committed
in 1888 In spite Of these substantial
reductions in admissions the total
prison population at the end Of 1888
was l36, 947, as against l37,646 at the
end of 1881. This does not give much
support to any current claim that
parole and pardon are emptying out
our prisons.
neaSohs io' O'e
There are many reasons 1or the
prevalence OF crime In TINS country TO-
day-the laws delay. the pail oono
evil, the shyster lawyer, pontlcaiiy
minded police forces ana, pack OF tnat,
the faulty environment which we per-
nit to exist in many OF our commune
ties. The occasional mistake OF
venality of parole or pardon1ng au-
thorities, oftentimes publicized Tar IN
excess OF What tney deserve ilas eoos
sIiaoo" upol t'ie "iioie '''''A -
When II is considered that out Of
o.a roo errects renorted IN the De-
$4,000 - I,,stice during 1aa4 onlv
pei c,ieH 49, W osrastad rrors an naroIe
=. au -. . Soas not coon, iustifia HE
~ oLorna the norole system with anv
W ,,ronort;on of resnonsi-
S sU.D &C nresart fdov crime Some Of
t u.ia.s ~ oasa p ~ere so Notorious SIS tn
o.e ;aS;orotion Against the whole
s.,.tn,,, Thoro vere other men in
;Ssoe r,,r,hars Who had had exneri-
80 II, nrison and who were even ON
hail or Suspended sentence at the
two ~ their arrests But 7 am de-
TENDING here the theory of parole.
r,t;ct, ,,,eons the release of a man To
society under sunervision A shining
oyo rnn,e Of what narole can mean in
40 I.t.nsa ~ the nuh,;c welfare Is
@ civ hv orr Federal Parole BOARD
Sror 90 ner cont ~ oil the men re-
,.ssas -, th;s co,,ro oeo,,s ond inteIli-
n.nt 1919 cor,n,etsS the;r fll, neriod
% t;,,a w;tho,,t feu,t ar breach of
AZ C r,,,es "' ~
viz ~ - ....s
ABUSES Au''ou.
! 1t is necessary that the pubic snoulo
be aroused to the fragrant abuse OF
the parole system in some Of our
States (as well as all other abuses
which hinder our efforts at crime
reduction), but it is equally impor-
tant that the significant progress
, made toward safer method OF re-
| lease from prison should be retained.