Show t h L- L y J o 1 Emptying the Pris Prison n T y ft W A 4 L lIE IE Utah state prison reports inmates S. S L r rJ on the first of the year a against r on J 1 1923 a decrease of or one one- t hird of the entire prison 1 po population A AIt A It glance at the figures might indicate the tf I Q arrival of a moral wave if if we we could forget the the activities of the state board of pardons du during duing ing the year The fact of the matter is js that the board of pardons which has become something of a court of last resort for convicted con conS felons is responsible for the reduction in the prison population rather than a decrease decrease decrease de de- de- de crease in criminal activities I It t I. I On January 1 I 1925 the prison had 1 1 L. L inmates During the year year more were added to prison rolls which would make a ai aj i j total of On January 1 1926 the prison t had iad a but inmates or less than half of the J total tofal indicating perhaps that the board of pardons releases criminals considerably fast faster r than the courts convict them It is not surprising surprising sur sur- 1 that crime increases and police officers become become discouraged ged when we stop to reflect f on n the manner In in which the board of pardons is is circumventing the penalties of the courts Some day perhaps the people will grasp i the significance of f the activities of the board in its relation to crime and eliminate this avenue of escape escape for criminals So long as the present tendency continues we cannot expect criminals to fear the threatened penalties penalties penk pen pen- k of society 0 |