The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-07
HABITUAL AND OTHER CRIMINALS.

The annual report of the board of
directors of the State Prison North pre-
sents quite a complete exhibit of the Op-
erations of che prison for the past year,
and contains some interesting sugges-
lions relative to prison reform. The
number of prisoners now confined in the
Prison North is 702, enough to make
large convict community. These. with
the cOnvicts in the southern prison and
the Female Reformatory show that In
diana-is furnishing its quota of the great
army of cOnvicts in the United States,
numbering all told nearly 100000. How
to treat this army of criminals during
and after their confinement, and how to
provide against the ever-increasing num-
Der of them, is one of the most impOr-
tant problems of the age. Prison man.
agement and reform is subject worthy
of the best attention of practical philan-
thropists. Where to draw the line be-
tween habitual and professional GRIM
inals, and emotional or accidental ones;
how to differcntiate those who can be re-
formed from those who cannoG; how to
separate the hardened criminals from
those young in vice; how to rescue and
develop the remains of what may be
good in convicts; how to encour-
age them to attempt a better life
these and cOgnate questions are
of vast Importance. Some of them are
discussed in the report referred to. The
directors evidently recognize their i'm
portance, even if they have not yet made
much progress in solving them. They
recognize the spirit of the prisOn-reform
movement, and show a disposition to
keep abreast with public sentiment rela-
tive to its most important phases.
Among other things, they think the abO-
lition of time sentences, at least for GER
tain classes Of offenders, would promote
the perfection of prison discipline, the
reformation of the prisoner and a de-
crease of crime and criminals-in other
words, the treatment of cOnvicts, as near
as can be, according tC Individual con-
ditions and dispositions. This would
establish wide distinction between
habitual criminals and emotional or ac-
cidental ones. Surely prisoner con-
victed of crime for the first time
deserves no such punishment as
the hardened one, who has been
convicted time and again. Habitual
criminals should be confined for life.
This is the only way for society to pro-
tect itself against incorrigibles. Being
confirmed enemies of society, they should
be shut up for life. Ohioh such law,
enacted in 1885. Illinois has the same.
The Ohio law provides as follows:
Every person who, after having been
twice convicted, sentenced and imprisoned
in some penal institution for felony, wheth-
er committed heretofore or hereafter. and
whether committed in this State or else
where within the limits of the United
States of America, shall be convicted, sem
fenced and imprisoned in the Ohio peniten.
tiary for felony hereafter committed, shall
be DENIED and taken to be an habitual Grim
inal. and, on the expiration of the term
for which he shall be SO sentenced, he shall
not be discharged from imprisonment in
the penitentiary, but shall be detained
therein for and during his natural life, I'M
less pardoned by the Governor, and the
liability to be so detained shall be and con-
stitute a part of every sentence TO lmprls-
Onment in the penitentiary; provided, now
ever. that after the expiration OF the term
for which he was so sentenced. he may, In
the discretion of the board of managers be
allowed to go upon parole outside of the
buildings and Enclosures, but TO remain
while on parole in the legal custody and
under the control of said board, and sub
ject at any time TO be taken back within
the Enclosure of said institution; and power
is hereby conferred upon said board to
establish rules and regulations under which
such. habitual criminals who are prisoners