PROBATION, PAROLE, INDETERMINATE SENTENCE.
In 1909, the Legislature of Pennsylvania enacted a law providing for Probation for some classes of adult offenders, and also for a Parole of criminals sentenced to the Penitentiaries of the State under the conditions of an Indeterminate Sentence. Under the Probation Act, the Courts have power to suspend the imposition of the sentence and to place the defendant on Probation on such terms and conditions as the Court may deem proper.
The Parole Law applied to the sentences of criminals sentenced to the Penitentiary on and after June 30, 1909. Two Members of The Pennsylvania Prison Society were very active in framing this law and in securing its passage. The Legislature of 1911 amended this law so as to render almost nugatory some of the provisions of the law with regard to the Indeterminate Sentence. The Chairman of our Committee on Legislation has ably discussed this subject in an article published in the Journal which was issued in November, 1911. The following statistics, furnished by Parole Officer, John McKenty, of the Eastern Penitentiary, show the operation of the law to the end of the year 1911.
| Number paroled since the law was effective | 128 |
| Number returned for failure to fulfill requirement | 15 |
| Number not reporting | 3 |
| Number of those paroled who have received final discharge | 10 |
| Number on Parole December 31, 1911 | 100 |
| Percentage of success | 85.9% |
These figures compare quite favorably with the results reported from other States in which this system has been for a longer period in vogue.