Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-06-17
PRISON REFORM.
Working of the lndetermi-
nate Sentence and
Parole Laws.

In no other state is the indetermi-
nate sentence and parole law operated
as in Indiana. Much interest has
been arouned, not only among our
own people, but also in other states
for this reason Inquiries are often
made as to the result of the opera
tion OF these laws in Indiana Now
that they have been in operation
four years some indication can be
had from the figures as to their re-
suits. Records have been very care
| fully kept
On April l, 1897, the two state
prisons were made one, known as
the Indiana State Prison, at Nichi
gan City. The institution 1T Jeffer-
sonville was transformed into the
Indiana Reformatory. The indeter
inmate sentence and parole law was
| made applicable to both institutions.
The total number of men paroleo
| by them both for four years ending
April l, 1901, has been iii
| S.s3 by the Reformatory and 30S by
the State Prison. OF these 100 have
been returned to the institutions for
violation of parole-135 to the Re
| forrnatory and II to the State Prison.
| The total number of unsatisfactory
cases has been l67-139 of those
paroled from the Reformatory and -
from the State Prison. These men,
| during the period of their parole and
| up to April LIST last have earned for
| themselves a total of SlS4, OS3. 81
Those who have been finally dis
| charged from parole had on hand or
| due them $50, g2S. 43. When one con
siders that many of THESE men have
not been earning or saying members
of society before going To prison
this financial statement has an add
ed interest. In addition To the
amount earned as stated, a large
number of the paroled men also re
ceived their board.
1t will be observed that the mum
| Der of persons returned for violation
of the parole law to both institutions
has been but 1875 per cent. of those
| who have been released, and the mum
Der of unsatisfactory cases from all
causes, taking into account both in
situations, has been a little less than
I6 per cent. In other words, of those
s0nt out from prison, claiming to
| have been benefited through the
work of these institutions, all but III
per cent. have SO far shown their
ability to lead proper lives on the
outside. While these have been re
leased, the babitual criminal has
been retained for longer time tina n
he would under the old system of
Imprisonment. For this reason the
indeterminate sentence law is very
unpopular with that class. In
consequence, when such individuals
are released at the expiration of
their sentence, they invariably ask
for a ticket to some point without
the state where they may not be un
der 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 to serve.
4emo-~k-An~-snSstu ~ % y - -fes $3.50.
provinces an agent TO secure homes
and employment for those who go
out upon parole, and To visit them
and supervise their actions until
they are finally released.
The indeterminate sentence and
parole law is now applicable also to
| the Indiana Woman 5 Prison, though
only a very few persons nave been
l.,l