The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-01-07
CATHOLICS IN PRISONS
STATE PRISON CHAP
LAIN GIVES STATISTICS SHOW
ING THAT CATHOLICS FORM
PRoPoRTloNATE NORITY
AMONG PRISON iNMATEs-REc-
ORDS FROM TWENTY-FIVE
STATES.

Women social workers some time
ago at the State Farm of the Joliet,
ILL.,, Prison, asked prisoner his re-
ligion. He replied: 81 am a Catholic"
They asked second who also an
swercd: "a Catholic.' They inquired
of a third who likewise answered: 81
am a Catholic :"
& 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 a Protestant" For there
are far more Protestants there than
Catholics. The official record for 1920
gives: 37.75% Catholic and 1850
Protestant; and for 1921: 37.67%
Catholic and 1860 Protestant.
In the United States, the percentage
| of people with no church afII1iation is
| 500, and of people with church aftiilia-
| ton, 1919. Of all church goers, Cath
olics constitute $3.50, and Protestants
constitute G2.5To. Of all Catholics,
the Catholic males constitute 1880;
of all other denominations, the males
| constitute $3.50. OF all Catholics,
the Catholic females constitute 51.1R;
| Of all other denominations, the
females constitute 74.4%. ~
| Therefore, the proportion of men
among Catholics is almost double that
of other denominations and conse-
quently, all other things being equal,
the proportion of liability to imprison-
ment among Catholic males is almost
| Again, we know from the United
| States Census of Prisoners and Juve-
nile Delinquents," published in 1916,
that out of every 100000 male popula-
ton 1863 were committed to prisons;
whereas of every 100000 fenlales only
10S.Ss I'm proportion to their numbers,
therefore, says the United States
tCensus, there were about nine times
as many committed among males as
among FEMALES - '''<. .'t''-...-''s -- =
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
lonly about two or three percent, that
is, there are about forty to fifty times
as many males as females in state
prisons, &C H." .t~'@
But since the proportion OF males
among Catholics is almost twice that
of the. other denominations, the pro
portion of Catholics in all prisons ant
especially in state penitentiaries
!: would naturally be expected to rur
much higher than that of other de
nominations.
Yet, according to official prison re
ports and the United States Census
! in % states,s 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 othe
denominations is 1882. ~.<
Hence, it Seems; We totfld; upon rea
sonable grounds, defend the larg.
number of Catholics among prisoners
even if their proportion exceeded tina
of any other religious denomination.
But the fact is, as shown above
that the number OF Catholic prisoner
i'll state benitentiaries certainly run
below their proportion When compare,
to the proportion of other dehof1ina
! tions among prisoners. And therefor
!, the frequent cry: Catholics fill tn
) prisons" is certainly unfounded.
II (Note1 #M6st of these have stroh
! percentage of Catholics. They are
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Color;
do Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, II
, jFdiana,,i Iowa, Kansas, Maryland. Mir
( lneseta, Mississippi, Nebraska. Ney
l f'Hampshire, New York. Ohio, Oregon
i Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin an
Wyoming