South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-20
MORE DETECTIVES
FEWER CRIMINALS
Report Shows Indiana'S Prisons
Decreasing in Population
While Schools and Hospitals
Get Increase Numbers.
Special to The News-Times.

Special TO The News-Times.
INDIANAPOLIS. Aug. 20.-Indi-
ana's correctional institutions slowly
are decreasing in population, while
the population Of the states institu-
tions of benevolent character-prin-
cipally where mental detectives are
cared for-is rapidly increasing. &C
cOrding to an announcement today
from the board Of state charities
which has just completed a survey OF
conditions in the two classes of insti-
tutions, covering the first nine months
of the fiscal year OF 1914.
Every one of the benevolent insti-
tutions of the state had more in
mates this year than last, the report
said. This increase in detectives in
Indiana and apparent decrease in the
criminal class is being watched care
fully by state officials and within the
next few years it may result in a re-
vision of the present institutional sys-
tenn Of the state. it is said, if the same
conditions continues TO prevail.
In the benevolent Institutions the
daily average attendance increase was
2l0 over last year, while in the cor
regional institutions including the
state prison at Michigan City, the re-
formatOry at JeffersonVille, the BOYS
School at Plainfield, the Girls School
at Clermont and the wOman's prison
at lndianapOlis-the decrease in aver
age daily attendance was III. June
30, 1914. the close of the nine-mOnth
period, the Il institutions of both
classes had 1865 inmates enrolled,
and 1861 actually present. For the
entire nine months, the number of
inmates averaged 11,64S each day.
Insane Hospitals Show Increase.
The five hospitals for the insane
had an average daily population of
0,O95 the first nine months in the
year, compared with 4.9S2 last year
The Institutions for the minded
and epileptic also report increased
population, the School for Feeble
Minded Children at Fort Wayne, hav-
ing had an average of 1.274 inmates
so far this year, and the Village for
Epileptics at Newcastle, 219. Alto
gether the seven state institutions for
mental observation-disclosures feeble
minded and epileptics-had 1877 more
inmates this year than last. The
average number of patients at the
tuberculosis hospital at Rockville
IUs Dis greater imam tdSl year 1 MS
is true also of the school for the deaf
at Indianapolis, where the average
attendance was 800 and the school
for the blind. Indianapolis, which
recorded an average of 122. For sew
eral years past, the population Of the
State Soldiers Home at Lafayette has
been decreasing, the report showed
For the first nine months of 1913 the
average attendance had fallen to S4S
This year. however, IL went up to GIL.
At the Soldiers and Sailors Orphans
Home at Knightstown, there also was
an increase from 459 last year to
4S2 this year.
The average number present in the
five correctional institutions for the
nine months was: State prison. l.
les; refOrmatory. 994; women's
prison. III; girls school. 2SS; boys
school 55S This made a total of g.
125, or III less than last year.
An interesting statement from the
board of state charities showed that
the operation OF the II Institutions.
and the care Of nearly $4,000 inmates
requires a force of 2,OS7 officers and
employees, an average Of five and one
half inmates to each person on salary
from the state.