The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-11-28

trial Institution-Other Matters of
Interest.
The trustees OF the northern Indiana
prison Wednesday made their annual re-
port to Governor Matthews. Incorporated
in the document was the annual report
and recommendations of Warden J. II.
French. The population of the prison was
given as 9OS on Oct 81, against a popula-
ton of SAL at the close of last year. Dur
ing the year the population reached 951.
The rapidity of the increase is shown in
that two years ago the total number regis
tered was 763. Warden French states that
he has every reason to believe that by
next year the population of the prison will
be over 1000. As to the security Of the
prison the report records one escape dur
ing the year trusty, William Hahn, who
was recovered by Warden French person
ally. AS to finances. the report shows the
surplus earnings for 1894 to be $7,s32.2s
against $1S,234.27 for the preceding year.
The falling off is due to the expiration
Of number of contracts, which the
authorities were unable to renew. In the
past four years the institution is shown to
ury s451 ,03042 Out Of this amount there
has been paid out for maintenance, re-
pairs, new water works, dining hall,
chapel, kitchen. hospital, bakery, laundry,
workshop and for cement walks and
gravel roads $4SS, 460.14. This gives a
credit in the treasury Of the state for the
institution Of s125702S. The prison thus
has been self-supporting. AS TO the cost
of maintenance there has been a reduc-
ton. In 1898 the daily cost of food was
11A cents, and in 1894 1-3 cents. In 1898
the gross daily cost of each prisoner was
351s cents and in 1894 80 10 cents. In 1895
the annual cost Of each prisoner was
S12S.2O and in 1894 S110.03. The difference
is in the cost of food and the credit of the
invoice of 1898.
Warden French asks for money for a
new prison front, which he estimates will
cost $1,000. This is TO be used for Office
purposes. For new set of boilers $4,000
is asked For new roofs and floors $1,000
is asked. For streets and footwalks So
600 is needed. To cover all of these the
legislature is asked to increase the annual
appropriation from 100000 TO $4,000. The
appropriation has not been Increased since
the time that 200 prisoners We're incarcer-
ated.
Convict Labor.
The subject of convict labor is discussed
at length. Warden French cites the COM
plants against the competition between
convict and free labor and states that he
thinks this competition is wrong. He sets
forth the fact that the efforts of some
Of the states to better the plan in vogue
in this state by running the contracts
themselves have proven failures. Two
reasons are set forth for this: Cd That the
difficulties are not Obviated (2) because
the financial venture has invariably proved
dan for rl7a tata 10
coded the fact that employment of some
kind was necessary and stated that there
are now unemployed in the prison over 275
men. This and most states, he said, run
the contract system from mercenary
standpoint for the benefit of the treasury,
without any thought of those dependent
upon the prisoners and seemingly with
out any thought as to their condition The
present method of giving each man SO
as he leaves the prison doors arid throw
him upon the world to hustle for himself,
he thought tended to confirm the man in
crime rather than to help him to be
good citizen. He set forth that the state
in dealing with crime is dealing with itself.
If crime is eliminated by il one of the
evils of the state is eliminated. He sug-
gests the conversion Of the prison into an
Industrial school for the purpose Of teach
ing diversified trades. that men may have
a handicraft and if, at the same time, the
men are illiterate they can be given the
rudimentS of an education Then when
dismissed from the prison meet the convict
at the prison door and assist him 10 get
employment in the line of work taught
him in prison. If he again turns his at
tentiOn to crime convict him as an habit
ual criminal and put him to hard labor for
a stated period of years, in the manu-
featuring of products TO supply the needs
of the various public institutions of the
the state
The overcrowded condition of the prison
was referred TO and the fact that the $50
prisoners were compelled TO occupy $50
cell houses. the largest of the cells being
; by S feet in dimensions. In the event
that the doubling up of prisoners in cells
must go on it will destroy discipline. breed
disease and be otherwise injurious to both
morals and physical conditions.
1t is recommended that the north wall
be extended. In the event that the sug-
gestion of turning the institution into an
industrial school is followed the expense
of erecting new institution will be done
away with.
Other Matters of Interest.
AS to the insane within the prison, it
was stated that eight cases exist. and an
amendment to the laws is urged whereby
these prisoners can be cared for in some
way outside the prison wallis.
Concerning life convicts it was stated
Unit lutle Dire lOiNg 4liNh sNAAbCAANNu AOA
this period in the prison at this time They
have nothing to look to but pardon or
death Warden French advocates that ii
would be doing justice to the state and
TO the men to make life sentence fifty
years, and with good time the actual SEN
tence would be thirty years. The parole
system is recommended rather than the
pardons A new habitual criminal law is
asked for.
The construction of an inebriate asylum
is also suggested if it is conceded that
drunkenness is a weakness that can be
cured This, he thinks, would be a rem
edy for the prevention of crime. The
recommendation is based OH an answer
from more than 600 of the prisoners, who
acknowledged that they were intemper
ate and that their road TO crime had been
through drink
Closing, Warden French stated that he
had given the prison his undivided atten-
ton and that he had mingled freely with
the prisoners since he took hold of his
office. In four years, he states he has
never had an insolent word spoken to him
by a convict. The rule Of discipline ne
had adopted was firmness and kindness,
and this rule was supplemented by one
that when this discipline was refused
the men should be made to accept it.