The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-22
THE FEMALE REFORMATORY,
Report of the Officers of Its Condition and
Cost of Maintenance.

The officers of the Indiana Reformatory for
Women and Girls yesterday filed with the Gov
ernor their annual report, which shows that
there are now forty-ive women and girls con-
fined in the penal department During the year
eighteen were received and twenty one dis
charged upon the expiration of sentences, one
was pardoned, and one died. OF the eighteen
received but two were recon mitments and those
were second convictions. I'VE hold previous
short sentences responsible" the board of
managers state, ''as these two were origi-
nally sent to US for terms of but
one year. A system of indeterminate sentences
might be established to cover this class of of
tenders. With prisoners on long sentences our
efforts have been reasonably fruitful" The av-
erage number of inmates dropped from fifty last
year to forty this year, which the managers
are wholly unable to account for
In the reformatory department there are 1872
girls. Forty were received new commit
ments and four were returned on tickets-of
leave Seventeen were discharged, thirty-one
were released on tickets leave, one died and
one was sent to the Insane Hospital 1t is esti-
mated that the cost of maintaining the prisoners
during the next year will be $40 each. The
total expenses last year $2S, 926 08, of which
81, GAL. 46 was expended on repairs. The counties
sending prisoners paid their proportion of the
expenses 49, 262. So leaving the cost to the State
SIS, 495. 90. Including all expenses the average
cost Of each inmate was 1888. 50.
"With our utmost care. the managers say sit
is never possible to give the girls thorough and
proficient training SO as to make of them good
servants upon first going out, as real family
life is possible in building. To give this
training, SO far possible, record book of en-
ployent of girls has been opened, which shows
in what department and how long in each she
has served. Girls serve i'll each department
from three months to one year, and are not
changed from one kind of work to another until
recommended by the officer in charge as in a
measure proficient"
During the last year five new punishment
rooms have hcen fitted up, and very little cor
porai punishment has been used solitary confins-
ment having been reSorted to almost exclusively
One of the problems is what to do with those
| who are being constantly reported for punish
ment. Their examples are infectious, and lead
others into foolish and disgusting limitations.
Solitary confinement is used as the remedy, yet
it seems not to be effectual. Of these it seems
useless to expect complete reformation. but we
feel convinced that they are benefited by their
life with u.s."
The officers claim that 80 per cent. of those
discharged from the reformatory and 76 from
the penal department are now leading useful
lives The oldest prisoner in the institution is
seventy nine years old, having served a sentence
johnson, recommends that the age at which
years. Under that age, they say. it has been
| our experience that girls are not of the very de-
| PRAYED class-mostly sent to US because home
less. and it is certainly not desirable to throw
such young children among the older and really
danrayed Onasn