The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-26
superintendent of Indiana RefOrma-
tory Delivers Brilliant Address at
the Broadway vi. T.. Church.
WHAT THE NEW LAW Is DOING
PAROLE SYSTEM is MAKING MANY
CRIMINALS USEFUL CITIZENS.
Scientific Management Is Removing "a
ers-Lessons Learned from Past.

One of the most comprehensive and inter-
esting addresses on criminology that was
ever delivered in indianapolis was given
last night at the Broadway NJ. E. Church
by VIII III. Whitaker, superintendent of
the Indiana Reformatory at Jeffersonville
The church was crowded. After the ad-
dress Mr.. Whitaker received the congrat-
ulations and compliments of large num-
ber of citizens for the brilliant record which
he has already made at the Reformatory
Mr.. Whittaker's address was on the sub
ject of Prison Reform" Outlining the
poor system of dealing with criminals be-
fore the matter was brought before the
Legislature by men animated by common
sense and humanitarian motives Mr.. Whit
taker passed to the scientific, practical
methods in use at the present time. The
system at the Reformatory was explained
in detail with Illustrations of its workings.
The net results of the reforms already in
stitrted in this State have been amazing.
Mr.. Whitaker showed, and the outlook for
the future is full of the most hopeful pos
sibilities
MIR. Whittaker's Address.
Into the address Mr.. Whitaker threw all
his enthusiasm for the work. He DISPLAYED
a mastery of his subject and a genius for
prison direction. His address in full was
as follows:
Experts who have made study of the
criminal tell US that popular judgment of
the criminal class is often incorrect In
is generally assumed that criminals are
much like other men, having substantially
the same perception of social relations and
the same admonishing instincts as others.
but wickedly setting all these aside. and
committing crimes from sheer perversity
Hence the punishments for crime have
often unnecessarily been cruel.
I'VE now know that criminals generally
are detectives: they are deficient i'm thai
intelligence and. appreciation of law that
are necessary TO interpret social require
ments Certain general characteristics of
the criminal mind are now whIl estab-
lished that people of this class may be pro-
nounced practically unsocial.
by the criminal class, however, we do
not mean simply those who have committed
crimes. Some men commit crime as the
result of an unlocked for combination OF
circumstances, which they had not the
mcra! strength TO control. and are not
strictly to be counted in the criminal class
for their first offense will most certainly
be their last offense, and they would never
have been offenders at all If il had not been
for q sudden temptation and appropriate
opportunity.
THE CRIMINAL CLASS.
"The criminal class may perhaps be de-
fined as consisting of those persons who
have unsocial instincts, combined with q
| large amount of energy and an aggressive
temperament They appreciate the future
| only few hours. or, at most, only a few
days ahead. Mr.. Brockway, formerly su.
perintendent of the Elmira Reformatory in
his thirty years OF experience found that
one of the greatest obstacles to the re-
formation of criminals was their inability
to appreciate what is meant by term OF
imprisonment. say OF five years; of the
advantage TO be gained by the shortening
| of this term.
"The means which he adopted to brins
| home this fact TO their limited intelligence
are looked upon to-day as the advanced
and correct methods that should be en-
ployed to have these delinquents under.
stand and appreciate how much better /,
| is for them TO live an honest and upright
life. and to be respected IN the community