The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-16
JAIL CENSUS is TAKEN
By THE SECRETARY OF THE BOARD
OF STATE CHARITIES.
The Figures Represent Conditions ON
Oct. 81 Last-Marion Coun-
tvs Portion.

The Board OF State Charities has COM
piled census of the jails of the State for
Oct 81. last. On that date there was, ac-
cording to the reports made by the sher-
iffs.a total jail population of 771-fifty-one
females and 40 males. An analysis of this
population shows that there were 279 per-
sens awaiting trial and $50 serving Jail
sentences: OF other prisoners, there were
ffty-four, making the total number of pris-
oners 6Ss. The miscellaneous prisoners were.
for the most part. boys sentenced to the
Reform School for Boys and men sentenced
to the reformatory state prison. OF the
total number OF 81 Juvenile prisoners forty
nine were boys and five were girls. The
other inmates of the jails were tramps
and insane persons. OF the former OF these
two classes, there were eleven men and
no women. In the jaIls on that day there
were sixty-two insane men and ten women
--seventy-two In all. OF these. fve-four
men and one woman-were awaiting in
quest. Forty-eight-forty men and eight
women-were awaiting admission to in
sane hospitals. The number of insane in
the poor asylums Of the State. on the same
date. was 5s1-3s4 men and 167 women-mak-
Ing total In poor asylums and jails OF 603
insane II to these be added the insane ep-
fleptics, Of whom there were twenty-eight
In the poor enthusiastically -four men and
four women-the total number would be
ss1
The largest number of inmates In any Jail
was In Marion county, where there were
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. males and three fe-
males The next largest number was in
Marlborough county, where there were
y-six-forty- males and five females
Madison county had Observation-Disclosures
males and five females; and Delaware
county thirty-two-thirty males and two
females In the following counties the jails
contained no inmates: Brown, Harrison,
Jasper. Marshall. Ohio, Scott, Steuben,
Union and Warren.
It is frequently found that officials think
II Is economical TO neglect TO care for the
jail or TO try TO conduct IL without meth
cd, and to administer 1t without rules for
the guidance OF the inmates. 1t IL a WELL
known fact that this is not economy. on
the contrary, In many counties. the jails
which have poor equipment afford the
most cramped quarters and in which the
prisoners are permitted to congregate and
enjoy themselves. without regard to person.
al cleanliness or keeping the jail clean, are
those In which are confined the largest
number OF inmates In proportion TO the
population Of the county: while In jails
which are better equipped and we'll kept
and in which the inmates are under some
kind OF discipline, the number OF those con-
fined therein is less I'm proportion.
The small number OF tramps is n notable
feature in this report. IL is a fact upon
which our officials are 10 be congratulated
that a continually increasing number OF
the jails refuse 10 receive tramps as lodg-
ers. This Is one of the factors, doubtless.
to which Is due the lessening of the num-
Der OF tramps. Many OF those who tramp
I'm hard times because they are out of work
have probably now quit the road because
they have found employment: but the pro-
fesssonal tramp, who makes up the bulk OF
our army OF Migrants, does not want en-
ployment. The new poor law prohibits
trustees giving relief. other than work
TO able-bodied tramps, and transportation
a. forbidden TO able-bodied nonresIdents
or TO such who are sick or crippled, only
I'm the direction whence they came, unless
they can satisfy him that they can be cared
for elsewhere. Many trustees have re-
ported that following the enactment OF
this law the tramps almost entirely ceased
20 ask for aid, and a very notable dminu.
ton was observed I'm their numbers I'm their
respective townships. Certain railroad com.
panies have also done something lookine
!. toward the reduction I'm the number OF
tramps along the lines. and to the pre-.
vention OF trespassing by them upon their
property.