The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-05
CoNyICTS PLEAD FOR WORK.
state Board Reviews Conditions at
the State Prison.

The board of managers of the State Prison
at Michigan City met at the Denison last
night and transacted a large amount of
business connected with the running OF the
institution and the making of the many
improvements under way. All the mem
bers of the board were present-Gen. X. A.
Foster, of this city; E. B. Nebeker, of Cow
ington, and Walter Vail, the newly appoint
ed member from Michigan City. Warden
Harley was also present.
The members of the board, in reviewing
the work of the year, felcitated themselves
over the fact that they had succeeded IN
making, according to the estimates of their
architect, improvements of the value of
$4,000 or $4,000, with an expenditure of
only $4,000, which was the amount appro-
propriated by the Legislature for the pur-
pose. This excellent showing was made pos
sible by the employment of the conVlcts IN
the construction of the improvements
Among the improvements completed, or
nearly SO, is a new chapel and schooln,ouse
The last Legislature provided for the educa-
ton of conyicts, and in conformity 70 TINS
law ample means have been provided Tor
teaching the prisoners. The new school
room seats $50, and it is proposed to have
both day and night schools. Warden Har-
ley says that out of population OF ooo tnere
are fifty-eight who can neither read nor write,
seyenty-eight who can barely read ana can
not write, and 100 who can barely DO DOTH
AS many as possible will be IN the the. s g: 3
morning until o'clock at night, with only
q short recess at noon.
Time hangs heavy on the hands of the pris-
oners, says Mr.. Harley. I'VE now have
only $50 men working on contracts, Leaving
800 men idle" said he. If you could near
these men grasp the iron bars of their cages
when pass them in the dollhouse and plead
with me to give them work you would get
an idea of what d terrible punishment is
the idleness enforced upon them. nave
done all L. could to relieve them. In tearing
down the old chapel | had the men pun out
the wire nails in the old timbers, one by one,
and then straighten them. In this way |
secured six barrels of nails which were USED
over again in the new building. When the
brick for the structure came. l had 1t
dumped in a far corner of the prison YARD
and then set the men carrying it a brick at
a time to the bricklayers. Ii a man carried
more than one brick | sent him back with
all he brought. ] have adopted other
schemes to keep them busy. For instance,
| got some old files and set q number OF
men polishing up the cell doors. 1t took one
month to polish door, and now they nave
brilliant finish. BY this time next year
there will be only $50 men engaged on con-
tract work
Besides the new chapel and schoolhouse,
a system of water works has been com
pleted which brings the water from the
lake at a distance of 1000 feet from shore
and at a depth of thirty feet. A new nos
pital has also been erected, but is not quite
completed, the plastering work now being
done. Another improvement of great I'M
portance has been the putting in OF new
ventilating system in each OF the cell
houses BY means OF fans hot air is circu-
lated through each structure the tempera-
ture being the same at the top as at the
bottom. These fans in summer will be
used in circulating cold air. All the foul
smells usually found in prisons are COM
pletely removed. Another Improvement UNI
der way is the construction of a stone porch
in front of the administration building. All
the buildings and roofs have been painted
and the whole institution is in excellent
shape. 1t is now proposed to buy lot of
refuse stone from the Bedford duarrtes,
have the convicts break it and then mac
adam all the streets and walks about the
prison
The board finds itself much hampered by
the oversight made by the Legislature when
the law regarding convict labor was passed;
This law provides that The convicts shall
make all the supplies for other state insti-
buttons, but no money was appropriated 10
buy the materials necessary for the work.
1t looks as though there is nothing but idle
ness in store for the convicts. Warden
Harley says there are eleven insane con-
victs who disturb all the men at night with
their rawlings He thinks there should be an
annex for the criminal insane at one of the
hospitals The board of parole has par
doned only four men in the past year out of
thirty-three applicants.