The state of Minnesota was one of the first to introduce the grading and
parole systems in its prison. Speaking of this feature, Warden Wolfer
says:
“We have paroled 934 prisoners since the parole law went into effect in
1894. We now have 72 prisoners on parole, three of whom are females. Of
those paroled 716 were committed on a definite sentence, and 218 on
Reformatory Plan.”
“The grading and parole law continues to work satisfactorily and gives
much promise and encouragement for the future. We are often disappointed
by the failure of promising parole men to make good, but on the other
hand, we are as often encouraged by the less promising who have made good
beyond our most sanguine expectations. All of which demonstrates the
limitation of human judgment and the difficulty of ‘reading the human
heart aright.’ Most of those who break parole are carried over the line by
some weakness, usually intemperance, a weakness that they do not seem able
to control.”
“We are glad to be able to say that our expedience with the grading and
parole system gives us growing encouragement and hope for the future,
because we believe we have hopeful and satisfying evidence that few men
break their parole because of the desire to do wrong. As a rule, the
parole breaker heartily regrets his misstep, and frequently will make good
if given another chance.”
“The parole embodies those ethical principles of conduct that make for
normal life and good character. Rationally and constructively applied, it
builds up and encourages manhood and at the same time it discourages a
disposition to yield to weakening impulses that lead to wrongdoing. Every
possible effort should be made to apprehend and return the fugitive parole
breaker, for if allowed to remain at large he is almost sure to become a
confirmed criminal. Therefore, a more thorough supervision of paroled
prisoners is necessary, and a more accurate system for the apprehension
and identification of parole breakers seems imperative in every state, and
throughout the country, wherever the parole system is in vogue.”
“Of the 934 prisoners paroled 59 per cent were finally discharged by
reason of expiration of definite sentence; 13 2‐3 per cent, who were
committed on the Reformatory Plan, were discharged by the board after
having given satisfactory evidence of a desire and purpose to live
honestly and become good citizens; 19 2‐3 per cent of the whole number
paroled violated their paroles; 17 1‐3 per cent of the whole number were
returned to prison to serve unexpired sentences, leaving 2 1‐3 per cent
parole violators now at large.”
This system has had a marked tendency to improve the discipline of the
prison, for it impels inmates to bend every effort to merit this
consideration at the hands of the state authorities. The state law
governing the parole of prisoners from the penitentiary is as follows: