The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-09-04
ANCIENT rrNAL
SYSTEM MUST
Be WIPED OUT
Scores ,oin in The Times
Drive to Put Program
on Civil Service.
CONTINUED Prom Page Onel

C0nLFOl OF new I OK I'VE DdStlle-
type prisons and half-dozen state
controlled wall-less prisons and re-
formatoTies.
He is scheduled TO attend the In
diana state penal conference in In
disnapolis on Sept. 30 10 speak on
prison management.
"All state penal institutions under
my supervision are almost 100 per
cent under civil service require
ments so far as the selection Of
employees is concerned" explained
DR.. Thayer. The only exceptions
are two clerkships in each prison
which are filled by appointees
selected in each prison by the state
controller and some Of the most
inferior jobs such as labor jobs"
Sees No Comparison
Since the reorganization of the
New York state government in 1926,
all wardens have been appointed
from competitive civil service lists,
according TO DR.. Thayer.
I have been in the service Of the
prison department Of New York
since 1904, and have been familiar
with it from 1892 until the present
date" DR.. Thayer said.
I have seen political management
Of the prison system Of this state
and I have had many years expert
ence since it has been severed from
political influence" he continued.
7 will state to you very frankly
that there is no comparison between
the condition as it exists today and
the condition existing under the
old political regime"
With guards and other prison
employees selected on the basis OF
merit. escapes from the prisons I'M
der DR.. Thayer's supervision occur
seldom as to be insignificant, &C
cording to prison experts.
Escapes Are Reduced
Escapes from New York's medium
security prisons, which correspond
in some details to the Indiana state
farms, have been reduced through
adoption Of a rigid military diSci-
pline among guards, some Of whom
are mounted. Only nine escapes
have occurred from the much publi-
cized wall-less Waikiki state prison,
and most of these occurred while
the guard organization was being
perfected.
Seven of these men are account
ed for, two Of whom we're executed
in PENNSYLVANIA for the commission
nounced. There are two men at
large whose whereabouts are I'M
known"
Pennsylvania, spurred by re-
peated prison riots of its own, looks
10 the next legislature to reform the
penal system by placing the states
institutions under civil service re-
ouirements similar to those pro-
posed by The Times for Indiana.
Outstanding in New York
The outstanding success of the
civil service system of operating the
extensive prison system of New York
state was cited by prison experts
other than DR.. Thayer as a con-
vincing example of the efficient and
economical operation of a penal
system after politics has been ex-
cluded.
Ohio criminolOgists pointed to the
Jsmooth operation of the penal in
stitutions of that state since the
spoils system was thrown out.
Stories of waste, inefficiency and
brutality came from Kentucky, Cali
fornia, Tennessee, Oklahoma and
New Mexico. where the political
management of institutions remains
intrenched.
Inquiry of Sanford Bates. prison
Ureau director for the justice de-
partment. revealed that all guards
in federal penal and reformatory in
StitutiOns are under civil service and
are given special training.
Federal wardenS and their depu-
ties are named by the attorney
general on recommendation of the
prisons bureau director.
Publication of the results of a
nationwide survey Of current prac-
tees in the operation Of jails and
prisons was followed by demands
vision of this states methods Of
supervising prisoners.
Demand End of Politics
At Vincennes. civic and luncheon
societies heard Walter Myers.
prominent Democratic attorney and
former Speaker OF the Indiana
house of representatives, demand
"a prison management that will
know neither politics nor pull"
Prominent residents Of IndianapO-
lis and Marion county Endorsed The
Times proposal for a central de-
partment Of correction with war
denS and guards appointed under
civil service rules.
Marion county members and
candidates for the Indiana legisla-
ture broke party lines TO promise
support 10 legislation providing for
adoption of such a system.
without exception, authorities on
prison management submitted their
considered opinion that without
proper methods Of selecting officials
and guards no substantial improve
ment in penal management would
come.
Hoover Joins in Drive
]. Edgar Hoover. head Of the fed
eral justice departments criminal
Investigation bureau. called for
escape proof prisons. Prisons and
jails must be institutions from
which major criminals can not
escape. Mr.. Hoover declared.