The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-17
THE BIENNIAL REPORT
CONDITIONS AT THE INDIANA RE-
FORMATORY SET FORTH.
Report of Superintendent Hert Incor-
pOrated-Ncw CelIhOuse-Rec-
concentrations.

The second biennial report of the board
of managers of the Indiana Reformatory
has just been printed and will be officially
submitted to the Governor to-day. The
report devotes considerable space. to the
new dollhouse which is rapidly nearing
completion and expresses regret that owing
to the rise in the price of building materials
it was impossible to make the appropria-
ton granted by the last Legislature pro-
vide for an increase in the power plant.
necessitated by the addition of the fan
system of heating and ~ventilating. and the
additional electrical lighting required for
the increased number of cells.
The board of managers says that the
increase in the power plant is SO neces-
sary that the contract for it has been let.
The Legislature is requested to appropriate
at once the sum of $780, 42. representing the
cost of the plant. The report renews the
recommendation made two years ago that
the law referring to the conveyance of per-
sons sentenced to the Reformatory be
changed. The recommendation was that
some one connected with the Reformatory
be empowered TO take prisoners to the
institution instead of the county sherins
or their deputies. This the board declares
would result in a great saving to the tax
payers and the representatives of the Re-
formatory would thus be enabled to OBJ
tain much valuable information concerning
the crime for which the person was con-
victed and of his previous history. The
board also states its objection to the prac-
tice of committing second term men to the
Reformatory, saying the presence of these
men is detrimental to discipline.
SOME IMPROVEMENTS.
The report refers to improvements in
the work of the institution. especially to
the establishment of a printing and trades
school. The neatly printed and bound re-
port of the board was prepared entirely
by the pupils of this department. Schools
of painting, engraving, machinery, wood
work and carpentering. tin work and in
struction in raising and caring for plants.
The managers express their regret that
the common school of the institution has
only about held its record during the last
year, owing TO the fact that the school
rooms have had TO be used as sleeping
apartments for the men who were dis
lodged when dollhouse CO.. was torn down..
The report of Superintendent Hert to the
board OF managers, which is Incorporated
in the report of the board, shows THAI
the 1elOIMdtOTy mas DetU well I1d0dSSu
financially. The appropriation for all ac-
counts was S226, SSS.3S. In addition to this
there was received from earnings from
various sources s67, S30.28 The total ex-
penditures amounted to Sill, 400. II. The
large balance has been turned into the
State treasury.
Mr.. Hert makes a few recommendations
at the close Of his report, the principal one
being for the establishment of q cold-stor-
age and ice plant, which, he says, would
materially decrease the cost of mainte-
nance and increase the efficiency OF the
stores and kitchen departments. He also
makes a strong plea for the establishment
OF the Bertillon system OF measurement Of
criminals in its most complete form. He
says this system has been partly in use
ever since the Reformatory was started,
but the institution has no place suitable
for keeping the records and making the
measurements. On account of the lack of
q Photographic outfit the services of an
outside photographer are necessary every
time a prisoner is released on parole.
The report of State Agent James w.
Comfort makes ar interesting showing as
to the number of men who have been
paroled since the law went into effect. The
total is us, of whom 800 nave received final
discharges. Only seventy-three have failed
To make regular reports 10 the institution.