The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-06-21

In no other State is the indeterm
, mate sentence and parole law op
Grated as in Indiana. Much inter
est has been aroused, not only
among Our own people, but also ii
/ other States for this reason. In
quiries are often made as to the re-
suit Of the operations OF these laws
in Indiana. Now that they have
: been in operation four years, some
indication can be had from the fig
ures as to their results. Records
have been very carefully kept.
! On April /, 1897. the two State
prisons we're made one, known a.
the Indiana State Prison, at Mich
igan City. The institution at Jef
fersonville was transformed into the
Indiana Reformatory. The inde-
terminate sentence and parole law
was made applicable to both institu-
tions. The total number Of men
paroled by them both fora years end :
ing April 1, 1901, has been 1,141,
-S33 by the Reformatory and 308
by the State Prison. OF these 15G
have been returned to the institu-
tions for violation Of parole-135 to|
the Reformatory and II to the State
Prison. The total number OF un-
satisfactory cases has been 167-l30I
of those paroled from the Reforma.
tory and % from the State Prison.
These men, during the period cf
their parole and up to April 1st
last, have earned for themselves a
total of $lS4 ,0S3.S7. Those who
have been finally discharged from
parole had on hand or due them
$50, ,92S 43. When ole considers
that many of these men have not
been earning or saving members Of
society before going to prison, this
financial statement has an added in
terest. In addition to the amount
earned as stated, large number Of
the paroled men also received their
board.
1t will be observed that the num- 7
ber OF persons returned for violation
of the parole law to both institu-
tions, has been but 1875 per cent. I
OF those who have been released,
and the number of unsatisfactory
cases from all causes, taking into !,
account both Institutions, has been
q little lees than 16 per cent. In,
other words, OF those sent out from
prison, claiming to have been bene-
fitted through the work Of these in
all but l6 per cent. have
so far shown their ability to lead
proper lives on the outside While
these have been released, the habit
ual criminal has been retained for a
longer time than he would urderthe
old system of Imprisonment. For
this reason the indeterminate SEN
tence law is very unpopular with
that class. In consequence, when
such individuals are released at the
expiration Of their sentence, they
invariably ask for ticket to some
point without the State where they
may not be under the influence Of
the indeterminate sentence law.
They cannot figure upon it as they
did upon the definite term, and do
not know how long they will have
10 serve.
One Of the most valuable features
Df the Indiana law is that the State
provides an agent to secure homes +,
and employment for those who go
Dut upon parole, and to visit them
and supervise their actions until
hey are finally released.
The indeterminate sentence and
parole law is now applicable also toll
he Indiana Woman's Prison, L
though only very few persons haveI 4
been paroled.
The following table gives an ab
'tract Of the results Of these laws inl
Zach Of the two institutions: Il
,TATIsTICs FROM APRIL L, 1897, T0l
APRIL /, 1901.
Reforma- Stat.l
tory. Prison.
Total numper of men
paroled, 1888 3OS
Received final dis \,
charge, 1856 l23
Time expired, II 80 1
Died, IA II