The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-11-27
THEY CUT A SWATH.
Indiana People at the Nashville Prison Con-
gTess.

Indiana People at the Nashville Prison Con-
gress.
Secy. Johnson of the state board of charities
has returned from the prison congress at Nash
Vile, Tenn. He says that the Indiana people
present at the congress did very well, both in
the discussion on subjects presented and in the
presentation of subjects themselves. he in
stances the papers read by the Hon. c. II.
Reeve and the Hon. ]. W. French of Lafayette.
The former spoke on the method of interesting
the public in prisoners, and the latter on Life
Prisoners" He reports that the session was an
agreeable and profitable one.
Warden James Murdock of the northern
prison at Michigan City was at the Grand
hotel Thursday afternoon, en- route from the
national prison congress at Nashville, Tenn.
to Michigan City. Mr.. Murdook said to a SEN
TINEL reporter that the congress was the largest
that has yet been held, and that the proceed
ings were of extraordinary interest and inn
portance. The session began last Friday and
ended Wednesday night. The opening address
of the president ex-President Hayes. was a very
able effort and presented in a strong way the
views of the most advanced thinkers and prac-
tical experts in penology The proceedings of
the congress throughout were characterized by a
very progressive and enlightened spirit and
illustrated in very striking way, the rapid
spread of human ideas on the subject of prison
management during the last few years. The
sentiment of the delegates was almost unani-
nous against the employment of corporal
punishment in any form in the prisons. A
large number Of the penal institutions of the
country have abolished the "cat" and all other
forms of bodily punishment and the universal
testimony is that the results of this change have
been most salutary This has been the case in
the prison at Michigan City where, for three
years, no punishment, except confinement in
the Solitary" has been administered TO re-
fractory prisoners. Mr.. Murdock says that
rather than go back to the old system he would
resign his position as warden.
The feeling among the attendants upon the
congress at Nashville was very strongly in
favor of the principle OF the new Ohio law,
under which sentences are made indeterminate,
the length of a convict's imprisonment de-
pending altogether upon his conduct in prison
and the prospects OF his reformation if re-
leased. 1t is only question OF a very few
years, when this principle will be introduced
into the penal legislation of all the states. aud
Mr.. Murdock is anxious that the next legls-
lature OF Indiana should adopt il. He favored
the bill introduced in the house last spring by
Mr.. Willard providing that all sentencesA for
life should terminate at the end OF twenty-five
years. The bill was q very imperfect
measure, but was the best in sight and
its enactment would have been an entering
wedge for further reforms In our penal system.
Our prison system Is based upon mistaken the
ories and is not in accord with the spirit of the
age or with the teachings of experience as to
the punishment of crime and the protection OF