The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-07-27
STATE PARDON AND PAROLE
system CALLED HORRIBLE
EXAMPLE BY PROBE GROUP
Methods Used at Hearings
ScathingIy ASSaiIed in
WiCkerSham Report.
RATED AS HIPP0DR0ME
Prisoners Given Rush Act,
Without Study of Cases,
Investigator Says.

Indianas method Of handling
pardons and paroles is cited as the
horrible example" in the Wicker
sham prison reports, although the
commissioners refused admit that
this is the state studied.
But this section Of the report
drawn an excellent word picture of
the IAdiana state prison trustees in
action at the Michigan City insti-
tuition, and was written by Win
throp D. Lane.
Lane visited the prison and at
tended a session Of the parole board,
composed of the trustees.
His report points out that, at this
session, ninety-flve parole cases
were handled by the board in four
hours, an average of one every two
and one-half minutes. Wives and
daughters of the trustees and news
paper reporters, twenty-four in all,
were at the meeting, ne said.
Just Big Show
Then when a prisoner wanted to
give some intimate detail concern
ing his case, he was denied the
privilege, because there are ladies
present"
The whole hearing was conducted
as a SHOW" at the prisoners ex-
pense, the report declared.
1t roundly criticises the whole
Indiana pardon and parole system.
This state at one time had q CEN
tralized pardon and parole board,
but it was abolished by an obedi-
ent legislature, at the behest Of for
mer Governor Ed Jackson. At pres
ent, trustees of each institution act
on their own prisoners.
1.-THE practice of the trustees is
to spend part of two days at the
prison, arriving one day and de-
parting the next" the Lane de-
scription states.
No Study Made
ION the occasion of my visit, the
board spent four hours in the
evening-8:25 TO 12:25-disposing of
the parole cases.
p IF a man was up for first parole
hearing, the board had learned
nothing about his case in advance,
no summary of his record having
been sent to members before the
hearing.
"One member of the board
deemed it appropriate to shout adj
monitions and characterizationS of
the prisoners themselves at them.
you are just about the most con-
temptible cur that walks the EARTH
he hurled at one prisoner, and
What you need is a horsewhipping,'
he shouted an another. To another
he remarked, You have not a bit
of honor.
IF the purpose of the social
handling of the offender is to effect
some improvement Of his conduct,
it is submitted that remarks like
these, hurled at prisoners before
audiences just at the moment when
the offender is being considered for
release on parole, is not the best
way to get it.
Foley Makes Reply
zone could not escape the con-
clusion that to many of those in
the room the parole hearing was a
show and that members of the
board occasionally gave spice to
this show by remarks made at the
expense of prisoners standing be-
fore them"
M. E. Foley, indianapolis attor-
ney, who is serving his twenty-fifth
year as a prison trustee, declared
today that he had not seen the re-
port, but would say this:
"Our board is functioning fairly
and squarely out in the open for
what we believe is the best interest
of the people of Indiana, and we
are going to continue to function in
the future as in the past"
Deny Prisoners 'BawIed Out"
He denied that prisoners were
shouted at and said that Lane spent
a total of about one-half day at the
prison and then left to write his
story.
John A. Brown, secretary of the
state charities board, raped the
Wickersham prison report for
blanket COMBINATIONS and point
ed out that brutal devices long have
been abolished in Indiana penal in
situations.
He said Lane is committed to the
idea of a central parole system.
TnIINTEEc ADJ MJAOMFn