Imperial Valley press., 1935-01-17
EDITORIAL PAGE
and
FEATURES
WHERE THE FAULT LIES


Back of yesterdays desperate affair at
San Quentin, which luckily did not take
the heavy toll OF lives that it might, stand
as causes, two enemies of the public well
fare, the weakness of our parole system
and overcrowded prisons
Capture today of convict paroled
last October gives the explanation for
yesterdays dash for freedom by four
iberty-mad convicts. The paroled con-
vict, one Clyde Stevens, placed the arms
with which the convicts held up Warden
Holohan and the board of prison terms
and paroles, in work truck entering the
prison several days ago. Armed with
them, the desperate convicts held up and
kidnapped the very men who had given
Stevens his freedom last October.
The members of the board may not
have realized last October that they were
making a mistake in freeing Stevens but
they undoubtedly know it now after yes
terday's thrilling experience. The San
Francisco police knew some time ago
that the board made a mistake, for they
have been trying to capture Stevens for
the past three months, during which time
he robbed four banks in the San Fran
cisco area.
Perhaps the board of prison terms and
paroles learned lesson yesterday. 1t
is to be hoped that they did. They are
well meaning men and the state rejoices
no serious injury was done to them.
Yet it is hard to forget they are the men
who are going to release Clara Phillips,
Herbert Wilson and other murderers on
the public within the next few months.
The parole system is practical but it
needs plenty of stiffening. 1t is quite
apparent that Stevens didn get job
and start rehabilitating himself and it is
equally certain he didn't make required
reports to the parole officer. Why wasn't
he picked up sooner?
The overcrowded conditions at San
Quentin and at Folsom as we'll, call for
immediate action. Men do not cease to be
men when they put on prison garb. They
love and hate and retain all the emotions
they possessed before they were incarcer-
ated Their hate is increased and inten-
sified when they are crowded together
like animals.
The need for additional room is only
too apparent. In recent years it was rec
commended that an additional prison be
built in the southern part of the state to
relieve the crowded conditions. All who
read the papers know what happened.
Practically every community whic
thought the new prison might be placed
near it, set up howl. None wanted such
a depressing institution near it.
There are three islands in the Santa
Barbara channel-San Miguel, Santa
Rosa and Santa Cruz. One or more OF
these islands would make an ideal loca-
ton for prison-remote from con-
taminating influence on any community
and reducing the possibility of escape to
a minimum This is not an original idea.
1t has been advocated numerous times
by those who have given thought to the
matter. The federal government chose
Alcatraz Island for its desperate con-
victs because it offered the same facili-
ties these channel islands do 1t also
maintains prison on McNeil's Island IN
Washington for the same reason.
A prison will cost money no matter
where it is built and the need of building
il cannot be lodged It has to come
sooner or later. Couldn't it be built on
one of these islands by the prisoners?
New York did that and did it well.
If yesterdays break stimulates activ-
ity in bettering our prison conditions 1t
will have been worth while Taking it
out" on the men now in prison will not