Evening star., 1939-04-17
u. 5. Parole System
Source Of Scandal
Murphy Declares
O|verhouIine Urged in
Talk at PorIey Here;
Roosevelt to Speak
BY ]. A. FOX.

Scoring the parole system in this
country as a source of scandal"
Attorney General Frank Murphy
declared today that this phase of
criminal justice administration needs
\ Thorough job of housecleaning."
The Attorney General spoke at
the opening session of the national
parole conference called by Pres
ident Roosevelt that brought to-
gether officials of Federal, State and
local governments, and laymen in
terested in this field to discuss
means of improving parole admin
lstration Between 700 and 800 men
were expected at the two-day meet
ing.
The conference, in the depart
mental Auditorium, was to trans
fer to the White House grounds
at o'clock this evening, when
President Roosevelt is scheduled to
speak from the south portico of
the Executive mansion. Weather
conditions this morning, however,
served to raise doubt as to whether
this arrangement might not have
to be changed.
On the opening program with the
Attorney General were Sam A.
Lewisohn, of New York. president
'of the Miami Copper Co.. the tenn
porary chairman; Gov. Herbert H.
Lehman of New York. and Judge
Richard Hartshorne, of the Court
Of Common Pleas, Newark.
Unified Control Urged.
Attorney General Murphy as
serted that one of the principal aids
to keep democracy working" lies
in building up modern parole sys-
tenn under unified, central control,
free from venal politics, admins
tered by trained competent staff
and equipped with every technique
and device that modern science can
. provide"
In the past" he continued, mot
only have we failed to get the most
out Of parole, but from the begin
ming it has been source of Scan-
dial. The only way to end a situa-
ton of this kind is, first, to do
thorough job of house cleaning.
and, second, to administer parole
everywhere in modern way. in
an efficient way, in clean, nom
political way
Because of the conditions that
have surrounded parole admins
tration, the Attorney General con-
tinued it has been inevitable that
there would be wide difference of
opinion as to its efficiency. Because
of that. he added, "one of our big
gest jobs is to sell the idea of parole
to the general public"
The public must be set straight
as to what exactly is meant by
parole" the speaker emphasized.
"They must be convinced that
parole is not a form of forgiveness
for crime or an excuse for deliver
ing criminals from Jail. The public
must be shown that parole is the
most scientific method yet devised
of helping the man who is released
from prison to adjust himself to
normal community life"
Lewisohn Opens Meeting.
While unemployment and relief
expenditures stand in the way of
such action at present. he suggested,
Federal aid to States for parole ad-
ministration may be form of fu-
ture cooperation.
Mr.. LeWisohn, a member of the
New York State Correction Commits
sion and long identified with parole
and prison reform, in opening the
conference, scored the intrusion of
politics in parole, declaring that
political patronage and parole ARE
as dangerous in combination as al
cohol and gasoline"
If I were to pick out the four
worse enemies of parole" he said,
II would say that they are:
First, the baneful influence of
political patronage in the selection
of parole personnel and often, as
a consequence, in the granting of
paroles.
Second, the failure of many
States to provide funds for opera
ton of an adequate parole system,
including a sufficient number of
qualified parole officers.
'"Third, the confusion in many
peoples minds between parole and
the statutory communication of sem
tences as a reward for good be-
havior in prison.
Fourth, and perhaps worst of all,
Is the mistaken use of the parole
authority as a means of granting
clemency which has temporarily
identified parole with a sentimental
approach to crime and criminals
Until these enemies are routed,
we cannot expect parole to enjoy
the full confidence of the public"
Gov. Lehman told the conference
that parole is mo panacea' for
crime, but that effective parole