The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-01-07
CATHOLICS IN PRISONS
STATE PRISON CHAP
LAIN GIVES STATISTICS STOW
ING THAT CATHOLICS FORM
PRoPoRTioNATE MINORITY
AMONG PRISON INMATEs-REc-
. oRDs FROM TWENTY-FIVE
STATES. ST. .G

Women social workers some time
ago at the State Farm of the Joliet,
Ill, Prison, asked prisoner his re-
ligion. He replied: Il am a Catholic"
They asked a second who also an
swered: ga Catholic They inquired
of a third who likewise answered: 81
am Catholic '.'~
l. The ladies exclaimed: My! How
many Catholics there are in prison!"
writes Rev. Leo Kalmer, o. F. M,
Catholic chaplain at Joliet prison.
|! Yet this was merely accidental
Next time they inquire, they will more
probably find three in succession re-
ply; Il am Protestant For there
are far more Protestants there than
Catholics. The official record for 1920
gives: 37.75% Catholic and 1880
Protestant; and for 1927 37.67%
Catholic and 49.16% Protestant
In the United States, the percentage
Of people with no church affiliation is
500, and of people with church affiilia-
ton, 1910. Of all church goers, Cath
oiics constitute $3.50, and Professionals
constitute 62.5%. Of all Catholics,
the Catholic males constitute 4S9%;
of all other denominations, the males
constitute $3.50. OF all Catholics,
the Catholic females constitute 51.1W;
of all other denominations, the
females constitute 74.4%. A IT,.
Therefore, the proportion of men
among Catholics is almost double that
of other denominations; and conse-
auently, all other things being equal,
the proportion of liability to imprison-
ment among Catholic males is almost
twice that Of the other denominations
Again, we know from the United
States Census of Prisoners and Juve-
nile Delinqtfents,, published in 1916,
that out of every 100000 male popula-
ton 1863 were committed to prisons
whereas of every 100000 females only
1858, "In proportion to their numbers,
therefore, says the United States
| Census, there We're about nine times
as many committed among males as
among FEMALES So ''f' 7t'f'.1'i-i'. :.
| This United States Census includes
all jails, reformatories and houses OF
| correction. But if we take the state
| prisons only, then the difference of
| proportion is far greater. In state
penitentiaries, the females constitute
only about two or three percent. that
is, there are about forty to fifty times
as many males as females in state
IprisoTis.' fy $50 t%'fH ".
| But since the proportion OF males
among Catholics is almost twice that
of the other denominations, the pro
portion of Catholics in all prisons and
Especially in state penitentiaries
I: would naturally be expected to rur
much higher than that of other de
i nominations.
Yet, according to official prison re
ports and the United States Census
in % states.a on which the necessary
data for comparison is at hand, the
proportion of Catholics among state
prisoners as compared to the proper
ton OF. Catholics among the genera
| population Of these ~ states is 1870
whereas the proportion Of the othel
denominations is 2.1Sqs.
| Hence, it Seems; We could, upon rea
tsonable grounds, defend the large
number of Catholics among prisoners
leven if their proportion exceeded tina
of any other religious denomination.
| But the fact is, as shown above
that the number OF Catholic prisoner.
| in state benitentfarfes certainly runs
below their proportion When compared
to the proportion of other denonlina
tions among prisoners. And therefor,
the frequent cry 'iCafii6lfcs fiji tn,
prisons!' is certainly u1fo,fnded.
(Note5 Most of these have stroh,
percentage of Catholics. They are
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colora
4 do, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, In
idiana,il Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Min
IReseta, Mississippi, Nebraska, New
ttIIampshire, New York. Ohio, Oregon
Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin an,
Wyoming