The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-12-31
Sold to Other Institutions.

oOiQ W SttCI xUStilOtlOllS.
The product of the trade schools
is almost exclusively sold to other in
stitutions, although the law permits
the sale of any surplus in the open
market. None of the schools is large
enough to furnish much surplus ex-
cept the three departments" named.
whiolI employ six. hundred men be-
tween them. Pleading further for
present methods the management
says:
1--WE believe that if we get the
same encouragement from the Leg
islature in the future that we have
had in the past, it will be only a few
years before the Indiana Reforma-
tory will be able TO take care OF all
inmates in its school of letters and in
its trade schools which manufacture
supplies for State institutions and
political divisions of the State. AT this
time il would be suicidal and almost
criminal, in our judgment, to inter
fere with the system and work now
being carried on at the institution,
and the management should have
time to develop fully the methods al
ready established for Gazing for the
unfortunate fellows who come to the
ci+tf hui nf ~
schools and moral instruction"
Institution for Incorrigibles.
The other feature is the new insti-
tuition recommended by w. H.
Whitaker general superintendent,
for incorrigibles and detectives This
is an enlargement and enforcement
of an idea he put forward last year
The trustees in their report refer but
vaguely to this matter, but they set
forth plainly enough that more &C
commodation must in some way be
provided for the increasing criminal
population The institution now con-
tains 1880 inmates, says the report,
but the actual number has already
reached $50 or more. The trustees
believe that before the Legislature Of
1911 meets this population will have
grown at the present rate to 1850 or
400 The institution contains 96S
cells to accommodate the present
population and possible increases, the
dining-room will only accommodate
900, and the chapel will not seat any
more than that number.
Mr. Whitaker, in his report to the
trustees, included in this report, says
that he has carefully considered this
matter and has come to the conclu-
sion that new institution should be
provided for the class of criminals
that are abnormal and can no more
be benefited or made to become good
citizens than can the dwarfed and
crooked bush be trained and cultivat-
ed into a sturdy tree" He says from
40 to so per cent of those sent to
the Reformatory belong to this de-
generate class, and for them he wants
the special institution, because not
only are they not benefited at the
Reformatorv blu. also they take the
time and money that should be spent
on those who will Show results. His
proposal is for an institution provid-
ed with not less than 1000 acres OF
ground, be run as farm.
Every Confirmed Criminal.
To this place he would have the
courts commit every confirmed
criminal, insane criminal, epileptic
and degenerate to be kept for the
full length of Their maximum term.
He says such an institution could be
made self-sustaining by raising wheat
vegetables and other crops for other
State institutions, keeping the labor
of the inmates from competition with
free labor
The statistical tables show 426 re-
ceived during the year, besides four
recaptired and twenty-seven others
returned The population on Sep
TENDER 30, was 1880, an increase of
seventy-fvc in the year Ten died,
of whom two committed suicide by
hanging and four succumbed TO
tuberculosis. The typhoid fever cpl
deunic is not covered by this report.
The State agents figures show that