The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-20
STUDY OF CONVICT LIFE
INTERESTING CHAT WITH WARDEN
sHIDELER or STATE PRISON
a Great Problem Il Proper Encour-
agement to Convicts Who
Are Released.

self and his situation? Does he 'ose hope
and does cloud OF despair settle down
upon himg' These questions were asked
OF Warden George A. II. Shideler, Of the
State Prison. as he was seated in the lobby
OF the Denison Hotel recently.
''It is very seldom that a life man loses
all hope" said the warden. .As a rule
he keeps his spirits up by the vague hope
that somehow, some time-he does not
know how or when-he will be pardoned.
paroled or escape in some manner. Why.
statistics furnish little reason for a life
prisoner to lose all hope. DO you know
that the average time served by prisoners
who have received life sentences Is only a
little over fifteen years. Relief comes IN
one Of three ways-pardon. parole or
DEATH
II have one man up at the State Prison,
though. that has abandoned hope OF getting
out by fair means" continued the warden.
land little talk had with him not long
ago serves to illustrate how the warden OF
a prison must be always on the alert and
have a reply ready for the convicts. You
see. we have some pretty shrewd, intelli-
gent fellows in our institution will not
give you this mans name, for obvious rea-
sons. One day, not very long ago. he was
in the office of the prison. and 1 was talk
ing with him. according to nsy custom.
He said: Warden, there is no use for me
TO expect to get out of this place by fair
means. No Governor would ever pardon
or parole me. But say to you frankly.
warden. that some day am going out OF
this place. and don't be in my way
Ac
glitter in his eye that was not good to look
at, but his voice was perfectly calm and
he spoke in low tone.
haven't the slightest doubt that you
will go out OF here whenever you make the
start answered, but you will so out
feet first through the north gate The
north gate of the prison is the one through
which the dead are carried I could see by
the mans expression that he was doing
some serious thinking. A warden has got
to deal directly with prisoners There
must be no equivocation or parieying
RELEASED CoNvICTS.
THE fellows Cor whom / feel the great
est sympathy are those who have just been
released from prison." said the warden.
"A convict's first few hours after he has
passed beyond the prison gates are terrible
ones to him, and they are decisive. 1t is
all very well to put into his hands the ten
commandments and say. L hope you viii
come out all right but the ten command
ments and good wishes don't buy bread.
The paroled prisoner is given a new suit
of clothes, $40 in money. an overcoat. II il
is the winter season. and also a ticket in
any direction equal TO the distance from
~
sentenced But $40 is soon gone from a
man who is without a situation and with
out friends. That man has got TO secure
work pretty soon. or he will be forced into
crime and then back to the penitentiary
once more.
II have thought of plan by which phil
anthropists in towns and cities might ac-
complish world of good in a quiet way.
The work would have TO be done without
ostentation to be effective. My idea is for
a number of level-headod business men in
each community-men not overburdened
with sentiment, but provided with an abun-
dance of common sense and the right sort
of philanthropy-to unite in sort OF asso-
citation the object OF which shall be TO re-
claim men from the prisons by providing
them with situations at the time when
| they are most needed, which IL with
twenty-four hours after they are released.
Suppose. for instance, such associations or
societies were organized I'm a number OF
the large cities Of this State. Well, on
the 10Th OF each month. when / am pro-
vided with list OF the prisoners who vii
be paroled on the first OF the following
month. I would send copies OF such list to
the various associations. Pretty soon from
some one more of the towns would re-
ceive messages like this; Have a place as
hostler for Jim Thomas at SIS a month";
Can secure place for John Hedges as
driver of delivery wagon at sl2 a month
and on. I would send the men TO these
towns in which they had positions offered
| them. and thus they would be given q
chance TO start life right"
A JUST TERMINATION.
But suppose the men showed themselves
unworthy of the kindness bestowed on
them?'' Mr.. Shideler was asked.
''Then / would say that the return OF
such man to prison would be less OF a
misfortune than just termination OF the
career of a man who would no. improve
opportunities of reformation offered him.
the warden replied II know from observa-
unfortunate. L will try 20 help YOU and
then forget him in a little time when press
of affairs comes upon them The paroled
prisoner. mark you. does not need any
more money than the State furnishes him
when he is sent from prison. but what he
does need is chance 10 earn the living
which he win in a short time have TO earn
or be driven to crime ] do not orer this
suggestion from scientific standpoint, for
I do not believe the prison problem can be
solved scientifically, but rather by indl-
vidual treatment. / merely say that II Is
my opinion that immense amount 81
| good might be accomplished by such ASSOC
| Citations as l have mentioned. which would
make the obtaining of positions BY paroled
| or pardoned prisoners practical and posi-
BILE. Society has. / well aware. been
| educated TO a certain extent 10 help the
prisoners rather than 60 think that because
a man has once been IN prison he Is for
| ever lost. still IL is fact that a man with
a known prison record Is handi.
| capped to great extent IN hf.