Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-04-17

Some provision should be made for
the separation of persons of tender age
from older and perhaps hardened offend
ers. We found that young boys from
seventeen 40 to twenty 900 years of
age are lodged in the same tier of cells
and mingle freely with men charged with
very serious crimes, including every
species Of sexual perversions, as well as
men who have long criminal records,
Many of these youths are awaiting trial.
Their guilt or innocence has not vet
been established. Their association with
older men of this type is exceedingly
destructive to their morals.
PREFERENCE GIVEN
THOSE CONVICTED.
we also found that those prisoners
Who are awaiting trial are assigned
principally TO the first floor Of the Jail
which is Necessarily the darkest, most
poorly ventilated and uninviting portion
thereof, and, as a matter Of fact, Is the
most filthy and insanitary. while those
whose guilt has already been established,
those who, having been convicted, are
serving a sentence for their crimes, are
assigned principally to the top floor of
the Jail, which is the lightest, best venti-
lated and most comfortable in every
way. This, in our judgment, should be
changed so that the preference, IL any.
should be granted to those whose trial
has not yet been had. and whom, it may
be. are not guilty Of the onense with
which they are charged. instead of to
those who are serving sentence as
punishment for their misdemeanors.
This investigation has convinced US
Of the utter viciousness of the system
how in vogue in this state Of permitting
the sheriff to reap a reward from feed
ing his prisoners. Under the present
system a sheriff is given n salary In
adequate 10 the needs of his office and
al the money which he makes from the
office is gathered from fees, which he
is allowed, and the margin that he re-
tains from his allowance for boarding
his prisoners. We do not seek 70 ex-
cuse the sheriff for falling to properly
feed prisoners under his charge. for II
nc can not feed them properly and
still make money out OF his allowance
his first duty unquestionably is to pro
vide prisoners with wholesome fnot in
stead Of first enriching himself at the
expense of the prisoners; but the de
plorable situation which we have found
in part at least inheres IN the system
established in this state We recommend
to the next legislature that the sheriff
office be put upon an adequate salary
and that in feeding the prisoners nc
merely act as the agent of the county.
receiving : compensation merely for the
actual cost Of feeding the prisoners prop
erly. In other words. the county Shouts
pay the sheriff directly a reason able sal
airy for his services and pay directly
tor the feeding Of the prisoners IS such.
Hkn~-u-H Ill
should enact new and stringent legislH-
tion against the mistreatment Of prison
ers In county tails and should enact
legislation protecting their rights In ev-
cry way. For instance. We have found
many abuses In vogue at the Marion
county jail which do not constitute 4
crime under our statutes such as dis
prOportionate punishment of prisoners
for petty infrsctious OF Jail rules: the
locking OF prisoners In solitary conine-
ment for long periods. petty grating
spch as accepting money by the guards
for changing prisoners from one part o'
the jail to the other, this matter not
being covered by the present bribery
statute: the charging of excessive prices
tc prisoners for bringing things TO them
from the outside. which is not now a
crime, and many other abuses which
punishment provided therefor.
SEVERE PENALTY ASKED
TOR NEGLECT OF DUTY.
Furthermore, we recommend that the
duties Of the sheriff ana his deputies
Nth reference TO the care of prisoners
end their conduct toward them should
DC more fully and explicitly set oct
IN our statutes and more severe PEN
atty should he fixed for breach or
re elect Of duty.
Also We recommend that the repeal
Of that part of the impeachment statute
which provides that a public officer who
has been successfully impeached shall
not vacate his office pending on appeal
20 the supreme court In the case OF all
officers whose terms are of ehOrt du-
ration, this in fact nullifes the whole
impeachment law, because in this case,
for instance, should the sheriff be sue
cessfuuy impeached, he could delay a
final decision Of the case by an appeal
20 the supreme court until after his term
had expired. The case would then be-
come a moot question In the supreme
court, which that court. az held in a
similar case, It would not consider or
decide
AT the time we visited the jail. the
food served seemed to be sufficient and
of good quality The prisoners stated
that there mad been a distinct change for
the better since the investigation In
augurated In federal court began.
Our Investigation both by visit to the
Jail and the hearing Of the testimony OF
witnesses leads US to recommend that
the Marion county commi ssioners make
a sufficient appropriation Immediately in
order to make proper improvements and
repairs at the Marion county Jail, es-
pecially 10 put in an entire new plumb
ing system, unless the present one can
be satisfactorily overhauled aud re-
paired: to replace all defective plumbing
fixtures.
1--WE also recommend that all straw
ticks now in use at the jail which have
been in use for more than three fS)
months should he discarded and de
stroyed. and that new ticks should be
provided for the prisoners throughout
the Jail. and that these ticks when pro-
vided should bewashed and refilled with
straw each thirty 800 days.
I'VE further recommend that individual
or sanitary drinking cups should be
provided for the prisoners; that the
Marion county commissioners should
take steps Immediately to provide a
separate depart1. at for the Incarceration
Of prisoners affected with venereal dis
eases: and that they either make ar
rangements for the care Of all insane pa
tents In the City hospital or take steps
to provide a separate place for the care
of insane inmates