Henderson daily dispatch., 1936-09-28
forgotten MEN"
IN PRISON HEARD
Some l 400 of Them Having
Cases Reviewed by Pa
roles Department
Daily Dispatch Bureau,
In the Sir Walter Hotel.
RY L G. RASKERH WILL

by d. T.. baskerville.
Raleigh, Sept. 28.-Some 1,4OO "for-
gotten men" in the State Prison sys-
tenn who have no relatives or friends
to show any interest in them, many
OF them long termers who have al
ready been in prison for many years,
are being given the same chance at
getting paroles or pardons as the
other prisoners who have friends and
relatives to intercede for them, and
If necessary to employ lawyers for
them, Commissioner of Paroles Edwin
Gill said today
For several weeks now the entire
staff of the paroles office here has
been concentrating on these forgot
ten men," with the result that they
have almost completed the files on
400 of these men, while those on the
remainder are expected to be COM
pleted within the next 60 days. Gill
said. When the files are completed
they will all be gone over carefully
by Commissioner Gill and Governor
]. G. B. Ehringhaus with a view 10
granting paroles or pardons to those
whose records indicate they have re-
formed to the degree where clemency
can be granted.
For several years have wanted to
make a careful and systematic check
and survey of the prisoners who have
never asked for a parole or who had
no friends. or relatives to task Gle
mency for them and have managed
to look into a good many of these
cases." Gill said. But there were so
many that it was impossible to do
much along this line until our staff
was enlarged. Now that we have
larger staff, we are able to do this
work and when this present survey
is completed, there will be no such
thing as forgotten man in the pri-
son system. For then the record of
every man will have been Investigate
ed and placed in the files for yearly
examination to determine whether
or not he is deserving of parole"
The task Of preparing these files
and gathering the information needed
is slow and tedious, Gill explained.
First, the medical record of the pri-
soner is obtained from the medical
department, along with his picture
and finger prints from the Depart
ment of Justice in Washington. This
his record in the North Carolina pri-
son system, hut his record in other
prisons as well, if he has ever served
term in any other prison. Gill ex-
planned. A transcript of the prisoners
record since he has been in the State
Prison here, together with the esti-
mate of the prisoner by the camp SUI
perintendent or prison warden who
has been in immediate charge of the
prisoner is added to the file
When TINS data has been assembled
each prisoner is then interviewed by
an Investigator from the paroles Of
flee, who takes down the prisoners
own account of the crime for which
he was convicted, whether the pri-
soner admits the crime or maintains
his innocence, his attitude towards
prison life and regulations and to-
wards society," He is also questioned
with regard to his religious belief, if
any. The investigator then files an
other report on his personal estimate
of the prisoner based on the inter
view, whethe or not he thinks the pri-
soner is sincere and telling the truth
and whether he shows sufficient in
dication of reformation to warrant
paroles. Both the interview with the
prisoner and the Investigators con-
fidential report are made part of the
file on the prisoner. Whenever they
can be obtained, accurate accounts of
the crime of which the prisoner was
convicted are made part of the file
The result is that when the file of