The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-04
HUMANE TO CONNECTS
Prison Officials in Indiana Cease
Unjust Punishment.
Report of the State Board of Charities
OH the Working of the
New Rules.

The law passed by the last Legislature
regulating disciplinary punishment in the
State prisons is now in operation. In a dis
cussion of the working of this law and of
the principles of punishment in the north
ern and southern prisons, the Board of
State Charities, in it's annual report for
1893, says:
"An exact record is required to be kept
in permanent form of every offense re-
ported and punishment inflicted. whether
corporal otherwise. The presence of the
prison physician and the chaplain at every
infiction of corporal punishment prevents
the administering of unduly severe penal
ties in moments of excitement or extreme
provocation. The provision which requires
that no punishment shall be inflicted ex-
cept between the hours of and in the
morning nor until at least twelve hours
have elapsed after the offense is commit
ted makes it necessary that punishment
shall be inflicted on the day following the
offense, and thus insures, on the part of
the officers, minds free from excitement or
anger. The punishment record has brought
into striking contrast the difference in
principles of punishments at the two pris-
AS shown by the records the principle
at the southern prison is the infection of
many punishments in the aggregate, of
which very few are corporal. AT the north
ern prison, on the other hand, few punish
ments are inflicted, but a large per cent.
of them are severe, the penalty in nearly
every case including both corporal punish
ment and the subtraction of good time.
These two principles may be illustrated by
referring to the records.
During the first quarter of the opera
It L..
total number of punishments of all kinds
was 304. \ great majority of them consist
OF a subtraction of from one 10 sixteen days
good time from the prisoners good time
allowance. A considerable per cent. con-
sisted of solitary confinement, in some in
stances with the added penalty of standing
handcuned to the cell door. OF the entire
SV puniShmentS only eight were corporal
The punishment record OF the northern
prison was examined after the law had been
In force at that institution for a period OF
three months and eight days. During that
time only thirty-nine cases of punishment
OF all kinds was recorded. OF these, TWEEN
ty-fiVe cases included corporal punishment
part OF the penalty. In no case was
corporal punishment the only penalty.
Iwenty-four cases consisted of corporal
punishment with an accompanying loss of
good time. one case consisted Of a loss OF
sOod time. solitary confinement and corporal
punishment, but the offense in this instance
was aggravated by the conduct of the pris-
oner while undergoing confinement and the
corporal punishment part OF the penalty
while 1t is necessary 10 guard constant
ly and closely against cruel and unjustly
severe punishments, IL is none the less
essential that TO be effective and disciplin-
ing men OF mature years. punishment must
be OF a character TO be dreaded. IL is I'M
necessary in infiicting corporal punishment
that il should be OF a nature 10 injure the
health or disable the subject. Prisoners
should be led TO understand that discipline
Is administered imparually. and that pen
alities not inflicted for mistakes or
trivial infracuons OF rules, unless their
repetition has shown them TO be inten-
tionally or meXcUsably careless The con-
slant inhiction of punishment cheapens it
IN the estimation OF the prisoners and i'm
pairs its effectiveness. The administration
OF a great many punishments implies that
many small offenses are punishable and
this fact Is likely 10 work Injustice 10
prisoners whose records are in the essen
tials good, but who incur punishment
1T should be noted I'm this connection
that very large proportion OF the pun
ishments inflicted at the Southern prison
are because Of the failure on the part OF
the prisoners 10 perform the required