MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES.

Much of the work done is of the sort that does not appear in statistics. The general agent is constantly sought out by persons ignorant of the law's ways, the rights of the accused,— and the tricks of unprincipled lawyers. One of the saddest of these unrecorded duties is solacing the relatives of sentenced defendants and explaining to broken-hearted parents the regulations controlling intercourse with their sons in the State Reformatory at Elmira. Still another unlisted task is giving deserved assistance in the application for pardons. A more frequent function is safeguarding against the scurvy practices of the "shyster lawyer."

A GHOULISH PRACTITIONER.

Not long ago a young woman, prematurely old, stopped the general agent in the corridor to inquire where a certain lawyer could be found. She was sure there had been some mistake; her husband's trial had been adjourned so many times. It seemed that by pawning her wedding ring and borrowing from sympa thetic neighbors, she had managed to pay fifty dollars to a vampire lawyer, who now demanded as much more to save her husband from ten years in States prison for an assault of which he was really innocent. Investigation showed that the case had been adjourned on the lawyer's excuse that he needed to communicate with an out-of-town witness,-his real object being to have more time in which to extort additional money from a frightened, helpless woman. The prosecuting assistant district. attorney was asked to look up the case, and agreeing that it was too weak to warrant trial, recommended its dismissal. Thus the poor defendant was set free the day after the matter came

to our

attention.

The family was given clothing and

money for food in the relief department of the association.

OTHER IMPROPER PRACTICES.

Whenever a person pleading not guilty is without means to hire counsel, the Court assigns to defend him some one of the lawyers in regular practice in General Sessions. In theory, the lawyer's recompense, in default of a fee, is the sense of professional duty fulfilled; in practice, it means always with a few important exceptions-that the impecunious defendant might almost as well plead guilty at once. A good-natured hint to the lawyer that we understand he has been assigned as counsel for so-and-so invaribly insures the prisoner more consideration.

Another trick of the "shyster" is to advise a plea of guilty and then ask the Court for an investigation by this association. If it is a proper case for probation, such disposition is of course recommended and the lawyer extorts the largest fee possible “for having secured a suspended sentence."

Of course all interference is carefully avoided whenever the lawyer is earning his fee, however excessive, in accordance with professional ethics.

TYING THE KNOT.

Every once in a while we are invited by the grand jury to help settle certain cases in which, especially in default of sufficient evidence for indictment, a marriage is for the best interests of the community. Our part is to determine whether the prospective bridegroom consents solely as a means to escape prison and has it in his heart soon to abuse or desert the wife.

Recently it was found that both parties had long been betrothed but had neglected getting a certificate of marriage. Then

the young man had been prevailed upon by an unscrupulous broker to jilt the girl for the prospects of a marriage with money. He was now thoroughly ashamed of this cupidity and eager to go through the marriage ceremony. The Jewish chaplain of the City Prison tied the knot in our office in the Criminal Courts Building, and the pair are now living happily together.

Such marriages may be open to criticism, but unless the man is a moral pervert, they are usually preferable to prison for him and a life of shame for the woman. We are always glad to aid in determining from a talk with the man, just when such cases can best be settled by a marriage ceremony.

CONCLUSION.

Finally, the work of our agents is a constant opportunity quietly to inculcate in complainants and lawyers the more modern principles of criminal science. The surviving advocacy of punishment and retribution must be opposed by patient insistence on the moral and economic advantages of reformation and probation. Not the least important activity of our agents is therefore their small contribution to the campaign of education.

5

STATE REFORMATORY PAROLE WORK.

REPORT OF WILLIAM H. SPENCER, CHIEF OF PAROLE DEPARTMENT

OF THE PRISON ASSOCIATION,

The prime object of Elmira Reformatory is to protect society by reforming the criminal. It does not attempt to fit the punishment to the crime but to fit the criminal to live as a free man among free men. Its methods are to study the physical, the intellectual and moral defects of every inmate and then to deal with each one according to his special needs. They all need schooling, for their education has been neglected. Immediately and persistently they are disciplined, trained, educated in hand and heart, mind and will, until habits are begotten, habits of right thinking, right desiring, right willing. If these habits are sufficiently ingrained so that they persist and control the man when he is again at liberty, he is reformed or formed over and society is safe. Now it is the function of the parole office to help Elmira test its theory by giving the man a chance to prove himself. But no such man has a fair chance to prove himself until he has a chance to work at some fairly remunerative, honest industry. "Idleness is the devil's workshop" is an old proverb, never more fearfully illustrated than among the class we have to deal with. So it is recognized as an axiomatic necessity that the man shall go to work when he is paroled, and right away.

INVESTIGATING OFFERS OF WORK.

The first duty of the parole agent is to investigate offers of work. They come usually either from friends or from employers

who have been solicited by friends. As a rule these offers of work are made in good faith; but investigation has shown that a small minority are "fake" offers, made by some irresponsible person and for the sole purpose of helping the prisoner to his liberty; an offense which should be punishable by statutory law. Not only are "fake" offers sifted out from the genuine by such investigations, but employers are made to feel a sense of obligation in regard to the man they take into their employ. They are urged to give him a "square deal" and to promptly notify the agent in case of the boy's misbehavior. In this way employer as well as employee are in a measure put under bonds.

So far as possible the men are paroled to work in places where they may follow the trade taught them at Elmira. When this cannot be done, they are often, later, transferred to such places. Probably the majority of the men continue to work for the em ployer to whom they are paroled until they secure their absolute release. Although it is against the rule for men to change jobs without the consent of the parole agent, it is an elastic rule and only drawn taut when suspicions are awakened of a disposition to get on without work or to cover up a crooked course by changing the business address. In the majority of cases the men's wages are advanced, sometimes even doubled, during their probation and permanency of employment assured.

The men are for the most part paroled on the 20th of each month. Those coming to New York, with few exceptions, report at our office the following morning. Here they are registered and given explicit instructions about making their reports.

MONTHLY REPORTS.

These reports are in the form of letters written to Superintendent Scott telling him about their work, wages, expenses, savings,