The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-10-03

prOpatlOn. But Lnere Is HCtle, II any Argu-
ment in favor OF retaining the county jail,
which is as ill-adapted to current needs as the
ox-cart, sickle or fail
Any concerted attack upon the crime
problem must take into account the treat
ment Of the convicted criminal, Mr.. Wicker
sham once observed truly that the criminals
depredations upon society do not match he
cruelty visited upon the criminal by society.
Society must present better record for
humanity and sense than the criminal before
1t can tackle the criminal with very good
grace.
Most protests which have been made
against the inhumane and unscientific treat
ment of convicted criminals have been di-
rected against our state prisons. But the
worst situation does not exist there. In the
first place, many more are sent to local jails
and warehouses. In the second place, these
latter institutions usually ase far worse than
the prisons and state reformatories.
There are only 102 federal and state prisons
and reformatories, while there are some 3,571
local jails warehouses and houses of correc-
ton On the average, only about 13 per cent
Of convicted persons are sent to federal and
state institutions and 81 per cent to local in
stitutions In a recent year it is estimated
that 37,595 were sent to federal and state in
stitutions and 3199OS to local institutions
Therefore, the personal destiny of many more
persons is involved in the character and ad-
ministration of local institutions.
The best definition of Jail has been pro-
posed by Joseph F. Fishman, now of the
New York City department of corrections and
formerly federal inspector Of prisons. He says:
"A Jail is unbeievably filthy institu-
ton in which are confined men and women
serving sentence for misdemeanors and crimes,
and men and women not under sentence who
are simply awaiting trial. With few excep-
tons having no segregation Of the unconvict-
ed from the convicted, the well from the dis
eased, the youngest and most impressionable
from the most degraded and hardened.
1T usually is swarming with bedbugs,
reaches, lice, and other verrnin; has an odor
Of disinfectant and filth which is appalling;
supports in complete idleness countless thou
sands Of able-bodied men and women, and
generally affords ample time and opportunity
to assure inmates a complete course in every
kind of viciousness and crime. melting pot
in which the worst elements of the raw mate
rial in the criminal world are brought forth,
blended and turned out in absolute perfec-
ton"
Lest one might think this an exaggeration,
Mr.. Fishman, who knows more about the sub
1ect than any other living man, says that this
description will apply to fully IS per cent of
the jails of the country.
The effect which such an institution has
on young first offender has been admirably
summarized by a public prosecutor:
1--WE take boy just past Is and sentence
him to thirty or sixty days in the county Jail
for stealing a bicycle. The purpose of the
sentence is to impress upon his mind that he
must be vrtuous, that he must have respect
for the government under which he exists. So
for sixty days he gets no exercise, no pure air,
no mental exercise, no good reading matter,
no valuable sermon or lectures; he sees no
worthy deeds or acts of charity or kindness
performed. The only thing he hears is the
vilest of stories; he is taught how to engage
in the drug traffic how to avoid officers in
the transportation, sale and manufacture of
liquor, how to commit burglary; he is intro
duced into ring of automobile thieves.
After he has been attending a school of
crime with past masters as teachers we release
him with the admonition to be good"
One of the main necessities in the anti
crime drive is to eliminate the breeding places
of crime. There is no more prolific spawning
ground than the jails. More than three hun
dred thousand men, women and children are
transformed by them into crooks or worse
crooks