“I wish we might have some sort of central agency for the trying out of prospective guards. When they have made good and manifested a disposition seriously to study and practice the science of penology then they become very valuable to the State. Men who go into the occupation as a makeshift are expensive to the State in the long run. If we could test him in practice the credentials a man would bring from that central clearing house would be the best possible guarantee of fitness. “The science of penology in this country has advanced with very rapid strides. But the art of penology has not kept pace with it. And the reason is suggested in what I have said. There are too few who mean to make penology a real career. What we need is the type of man who can see the possibilities of service to the State in his kind of work. “Another matter which has been already a subject of study with me here in Massachusetts is the practice we have of mixing in our institutions two classes who ought to be kept apart. We have the workhouse cases and the prison cases. The former will include probably the older and the more confirmed offenders, many who are less hopeful of reformation, the careless and the professionally delinquent. They come and go and come back again quite as a matter of course. “But very many of the prison cases will be younger persons convicted of more serious offences. They will include many who can be appealed to, that are not confirmed in crime, who will respond to influence of the proper sort. “Now, it is not good policy to mix these cases. The one class comprises many who are glad to be fed and lodged and sheltered by the State. The others must not be permitted to learn to think of themselves as thus, subjects of the State’s care. “I would have these men sentenced indeterminately, not to be released until it is evident that they are ready for liberty. They must be treated as individual cases and adjustments must be made in each instance. I would place their release in the discretion of certain officials who may be presumed to be best prepared to say whether or not they are ready for release.” In general Mr. Randall referred to the need of the removal of the work of prison officials from all political and partisan influences and control. He named the State of Ohio as a community which has lately taken a very advanced step in penal legislation. The State of Illinois was referred to as an example of precisely the opposite sort. The commissioner told of his experiences in attending the annual meetings of the prison workers of the country, when year after year there will appear different sets of officials from the same city or State. “How can there be any real progress, or any development of the art of penology, when there is so little tenure of office?” he asked with a smile.