The Prison Mirror

BURTON ROGERS
Commentator

A scribe who has never been cussed is either a liar or a perfect gentleman.

The surest way in the world to slip into the rut of narrow-mindedness is to read the works of only one writer or live out the dictates of one man. There are a few individuals alive today who have suggested themselves superior to your God and mine. One of them in particular may be sadly disillusioned before his current wanderjahr is over. A human heart is not comparable to a cake of buoyant soap. The word Ja placed on a ballot at sword's point does not signify a heart 99 44/100% pure in loyalty. Blue Danube waters one of these days may again turn to scarlet because of bigotry and ruthlessness, the narrow-mindedness of one man; a man who dares not stand in the sidewalk panorama. This man is called "a dreamer" by some, "a visionary" by others. In prison a very logical thought has been expressed. For example, a close acquaintance of mine is doing life for an armed invasion made while under the influence of alcohol. I can not vouch that there were not any, but I can hardly imagine there being reports to the effect "he is a visionary." or "a drunkard." It is a 100 to 1 shot that the statement, "he is a rat, not a human being," may have been made. Such would not be true, however. He is one of the likeliest young men it has ever been my good fortune to meet. Certainly he did wrong. damned wrong, and no one knew it better than he did when he sobered. Can you honestly wonder at such a comparison? They call that other bird "a dreamer," "a visionary." I have a better way of describing any sober man who will state, then restate in his autobiography, " 'We must be perfectly clear that the recovery of lost provinces is not achieved by solemn invocations of the Beloved Lord . . . but only through armed violence'." On top of that his right-hand man brazenly stated, "'The only instrument with which one can conduct foreign policy is the sword, the sword alone and exclusively'." Those men would not grace any portion of the sidewalk panorama even if they dared venture there alone.

Of all the panoramas available to the eye, the one loftily viewed from a wide-open, hotel room window in a metropolitan center is surpassed by few. Looking down from fifteen stories or more, every sane man, even of great wealth and power, watching the world go by far below, realizes his infinitesimalness, and well he should. With the sinking sun the ant-like, moving, human procession down there in masonried canyons thins somewhat-then thickens once more when thrown switches cause a myriad of flashes to be sent skyward from man-made stars socketed hither and yon. Sitting alone in such a window, watching a scene like that, freed of the giddiness brought on by direct contact with rushing pedestrians; how anyone can help but look heavenward and acknowledge The Creator of it all is beyond the realm of comprehension. After looking down upon Mother Earth's checkerboard, agricolous face, in bird-like manner; after climbing wild slopes of many mountains, the metropolitan panorama, seen from on high, seems to humble me most, by far. So it does, simply because it is down there below-life, in mixed, human forms, is lived or existed every second of the day and night

Metropolitan life is a complexed affair, a juxtaposition of human beings. Rural habitants will not believe some of the recounts they hear, nor do the majority of urbanites swallow them in a brine-free state. Were they to change places with a crippled, pencil vendor on a city's sidewalk some night, a much different outlook would be theirs. From such a lowly vantage point the ungodly selfishness and ruthlessness of various individuals can be observed in reality. The spirit filled with awe by the glamorous aspect viewed from up yonder in a hostelry window, dissipates like snow alighting upon the caldron of an iron horse, when

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the same locale is viewed from the crippled, pencil vendor's sidewalk realm. It is there--and only there--that all sorts and conditions of men, women, and youth rub elbows as they pursue whatever it is mankind has been pursuing since the dawn of history. It is not to the crippled, pencil vendor they rush, save but few, and it is highly probable those few are in a pinch for a pencil.

One night many years ago I had to beg for money in the sidewalk realm. Money to buy food for a three-day-foodless stomach. No crippled, pencil vendor was I, merely a youth, sound of body and mind, damned to a bit of famine because I got it into my head that I knew more than the Pater. An idea the rushing, metropolitan, pedestrian mob soon starved me out of.

Hungry or no, I learned some things during that initial vagabond tour; things every youth should learn. One of them was that people are more or less narrow-minded in monetary matters. It is well to bear in mind that not all youths or men with empty stomachs have a home to skedaddle to. Despite propaganda to the contrary, all is not rosy along the avenue to the jobless eye. Read, and listen to, the opinions of others, see the other fellows side of any problem if narrow-mindedness is to be staved off.

A World War aviator explained for me just the other day how battlefield propagandism was carried out during various campaigns. Aviators dropping leaflets printed in two languages disseminated whatever thoughts the powers behind them wanted the opposing soldiers to think. Today there are unscrupulous publishers who use very similar tactics, only the disseminating is carried out on terra firma. That they are more successful than the war-time leaflet droppers is a fact because peace loving citizens are far more gullible than a soldier who is apt to get a grenade in the snoot at any moment. Barking dogs may never bite, music may soothe the savage beast, but I've never heard of a tramp fiddling in a bulldog's face with any great success as yet. Beware of the human dog whose cleverly worked out propaganda is cloaked in literary, silken suavity. Read what others have to say, see the good points of both sides, put all of it together and make a deduction, then act according to what you believe is right. "If every person were to do only what they believe right, each one would come mighty close to being right in every way." That quotation of a friend's words is well worth passing along.

For several weeks now I have been commenting on subjects dealing with crime. Let me introduce another inmate this week. In a city of 18,340 citizens, Chillicothe, Ohio, is located the United States Industrial Reformatory. Within that institution a monthly magazine is published. The Beacon. I take pleasure in introducing the words of its editor. The Editor's subject is Federally Speaking Whether the readers or this commentator will agree with his theories is beside the point. That his article is worth reading, can not be denied, nor can the accuracy of his figures be questioned:

"Except from the serviceable standpoint of mere, temporary relief for society (that specified period during which the offender had been politely removed from their midst), imprisonment, today, without some progressive results, would be an impractical solution to the overly publicized problem of crime. If such a theory were not true, when one cautiously considers the never-ebbing influx of 'Thou Shalt Not Do This' and 'Thou Shalt Not Do That,' our social practice of demanding the well-known 'pound of flesh' would eventually defeat its own purpose, either by becoming entrapped and perishing in its own self-made whirlpool or by making it an American fad to have once been a convict.

"Prison government and prison management, as in any other line of modern endeavor, must keep abreast of the times and the constant flow of new enactments, or slip into a medieval rut. It cannot recede or stand still in its tracks, else the value of prisons to society be so limited to temporary relief only. The centuries have proven that.

"Much more so than the freeman, conscientious men in prison, today, realize this. Their daily atmosphere forces a recognition of the handwriting on the wall, and, consequently, we have many among us who are greatly concerned with the future and the fundamental operations of our Federal Prison System--particularly the results.

"Such a topic never fails to provide food for general discussion. More than enough is it proed and conned in the press. Yet, seldom do the actual facts come to the surface. Seldom are the many questions clearly and concisely answered in the minds of individuals, free or otherwise. It should, therefore, be highly interesting to the Federal taxpayers of the land, as well as those who aspire to become taxpayers again, to observe and carefully analyze official statistics on the subject as reported by the Government for the fiscal period ending June 30, 1937:

"To begin with, we find that 52,167 defendants, of which 26,784 were Liquor Law violators," (Italics mine), "were heard in Federal courts throughout the nation. Of the total, 36,274 were found 'Guilty As Charged' and 5,687 Guilty As To Part.' Signifying, therefore, that 80.1% of all Federal indictments resulted in convictions; and that 51.4% of the entire volume was wet business.

"For the same period, from men and women confined in prison--9,250 parole applications were considered by the United States Board of Parole. 5,016 of these were denied. 3,301 were granted the privilege of parole, and 933 cases were continued. Paroles granted, in relation to total cases considered, 35.7%.

"Over in another important department, unfamiliar to the average citizen, we see that former prison inmates, in the aggregate of 12,979, came under the direct supervision of 171 Chief U. S. Probation Officers. In this capacity, and exclusive of thousands of regular probationary cases, these 171 officers were responsible for the strict supervision of 8,173 conditional release cases and 4,806 parolees.

"Of the 4,806 parolees, 2,350 cases were terminated, of which 161 were closed by the retaking of prisoners on warrants. This parole violation rate, in relation to total cases closed, is 6.9%. In relation to total cases handled, 3.4%.

"Of the 8,173 conditional release cases (those who had been denied parole, but, according to law, had earned 'good-time' off of their original sentences; which is based solely on their behavior while in prison). 6,442 were terminated, of which 861 were closed by the retaking of prisoners on warrants. This conditional release violation rate, in relation to total cases closed, is 13.4%. In relation to total cases handled, 10.6%.

"It is important, therefore, to note that the net violation rate of the combined groups (which, however, have no parole connection, but which the demigods seem to delight in confusing one with the other), in relation to total cases handled under outside supervision, figures 7.9%--of which but 1.3% were actually recipients of Parole."

After reviewing the Federal Prison figures shown herein by the Editor of The Beacon I was reminded of a statement made by John Morley, a writer and statesman: "Science, when she has accomplished all her triumphs in her order, will still have to go back, when the time comes, to assist in building up a new creed by which man can live." With all due respect to the memory of Viscount Morley of Blackburn, who died in 1923. I think that by making the use of some things prohibitive, that science has made to destroy men with, no new creed will be necessary. The only way to make the use of anything prohibitive is to eliminate the opportunity of profit from its existence. Not money, but the love of money (Italics mine), is the root of all evil.

Strangely enough, out of the numerous comments sent in since this column originated a good many expressed by inmates suggest a disinterested attitude on the part of free citizens. I happen to know differently. Inmates should not worry too much about sensational opposition. Right thinking citizens are interested. My reason for including now and again the expressions of others is to provoke thought. Factual crime has been on life's vaudeville circuit long enough. To aid in transferring it to its proper category, the rehabilitation realm, is the duty of us all. Only by both society and its fallen members being absolutely fair and frank can any accomplishment be made.

Read, and listen to, the opinions of others, see the other fellow's side of any problem. By doing these no one can slip into the rut of narrow-mindedness.