Show I J Reducing Crime Crimea 1 j WITHIN a short time after his capture r vy Arthur Young was sentenced to an indeterminate indeterminate inde inde- terminate term in the state prison for a assault committed on an aged couple in th southern part of the city July 3 31 I. I The dispatch 1 in this case is commendable and should i serve serve as a warning to other wayward youths c contemplating criminal careers District Attorney Y I I E E. A A. Rogers r that recommended o m f. f ih the the p prisoner ion lb confined f for r life Wl While le the recommendation i is reasonable the assault one of the most most brutal and cowardly i in iii the history of the c it is doubtful if it will vill ever be carri carried dj out Youngs Young's interests from now on will willbe be in the hands of ot the prison officials ls and the board bo rd of pardons and no doubt he will seek cek clemency at atan atan atan an early meeting of the board Unless a severe change has come conic over the pardoning power Young will have a good part of his life left after he gets out ut of prison This is OI of the serious fa faults to to be found with the indeterminate plan of punishment as followed in this state Termination of sentences is left entirely to the board of pardons and while white the courts make recommendations at the time of the trials they are forgotten in a t short short- time and the tle t oard Board acts largely on its own initiative Back in the old old ld days days' when definite sentences sentences sentences sen sen- were handed out in court we had fewer demands for premature pardons from convicted criminals Th The present law sanctions to sole soe so extent the wide powers exercised by the board of of pardons because th the the- sentence is indefinite and left to the discretion of the membership The pa pardoning power power should be free fret of connection with the prisoners prisoner's trial tria It should be a reserve for the correction of any any mistakes that might occur in a miscarriage of justice Under the L present system the board of pardons is securely linked to the trial of the prisoner and is bound to pass pass' on the individual c case se of every convicted man We believe fewer crimes would be committed committed com com- corn com mitt d if cri criminals were required to serve a definite definite I nite term When we are afflicted with crimes I such as we witnessed ss in in the robbery of a an Oregon Ore Ore- ore ore-J gon Short Line f train am between the two principal i cities of th the st state te we are are bound to admit that we must gi give e attention to th the problem of reducing reducing re- re crime I |