Show THEORY AND EXPERIENCE THE HE habit of the board of pardons in turnIng turning turn turn- ing criminals out of prison before they have p paid pid id their debt to society for their wrongdoing drew from Chief of Police Payne some comment that is worth mullin mulling over In addressing the Knights of the Round Table at a weekly luncheon he remarked that state penitentiary inmates should be made to serve their full terms It is not an easy task to keep arresting the same criminal when he continues contin contin- ues to break the law after being released be before before before be- be fore serving his complete sentence That is the reasoned utterance of a man who has ha served the greater part of his mature life in dealing with malefactors of all types as a local officer as a a. a department of justice operative and now as the head of the organIzed organized organized organ organ- police depar department ment of the states state's largest city It is the voice of experience answering theory theory theory-a a theory that has been established as only partly sound The theory is that when a certain degree of reformation has been accomplished society society society soci soci- ety should submit to having the criminal turned loose to see if it will win not turn out that the reformation in the end will be complete The experiment varies Sometimes it is complete com corn fairness fairness compels the admission Often it is not not and and society pays sometimes pays sometimes very dearly Persons convicted of grave offenses and sentenced to prison with the recommendations of the trial judge specifying long terms of incarceration should stay behind the bars until the sentence is carried out If there are signs that reformation has set in that reformation reformation mation matlon ought to be all the more nearly complete complete com corn as time passes behind the bars If there is sincerity if there i Is a reawakening of conscience conscience conscience con con- science if there is stable character asserting itself there Is every reason why serving the full fun time the law has demanded should more nearly bring about the desired regeneration Society Itself is entitled to this tion Those who have offended must expect to pay for their misdeeds Society does not send them to torture as in days of old There is nothing debasing in our penal institutions if a man wants to make himself over He has every chance to do it if he has the strength If he has not he is helped to gain strength Society gives him every chance The advantages advantages are all on the side of the criminal Against all an his cunning he is presumed Innocent Innocent innocent inno Inno- cent until the state can cari prove him guilty His alone Is the right of appeal Even then society society society soci soci- ety gives the guilty one the best of it It does not adhere to the old law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth It Is not good for sentimentalism and theory to obscure the fact that society too is entitled to justice |