The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-26
STATE WELFARE
/. ACT PRAISED AT
PAROLE FARLEY
Lack of Space, Employment
for Prisoners Held
Biggest HandiCapS.
RECALL KUNKEL REPORT
Institution Heads Seeking
Means to End ldleneSs
Among Inmates.
BY TRISTRAM COFFIN

BY TRISTRAM COFFIN
The two greatest problems
faced in the operation of Indi-
ana's six penal and corrective
institutions are lack of space
and useful employment for
prisoners.
These facts were disclosed from
the last available reports by institu-
ton heads today, as the Central
States Probation and Parole Confer
ence opened in the Claypool.
Indiana State Prison, Michigan
City, with total of 103 acres and a
planned capacity of 1900 inmates,
has population today of 2466 pris-
onerS.
Statistical reports show that the
average inmate at the prison is a
previous offender serving a l to 10
year term, 80 years old, married and
having one child, unemployed, lit
crate with education up to one year
in high school and in good mental
and physical health. He is Ameri-
can born of American born parents,
white, uses alcohol, smokes and left
home in his teens.
Of total of 2417 prisoners ques-
toned, 1904 were first offenders and
1413 were "repeaters." OF the same
total 1891 pleaded guilty, 1853 pleaded
not guilty and So pleaded insanity.
OF 1872 prisoners questioned at the
Indiana State Reformatory, Pendle-
ton, 256 were first offenders, 486
were re-committed and $50 had pre-
viously been guilty of misdemeanors.
Although the average chronological
age of the 1874 reformatory inmates
was % years and months, the aver
age mental age of 885 was II years
and one month.
Annual Cost Per Man $3.50
Prisoners over 80, except those
convicted of first or second degree
murder or sentenced to life impris-
onment are sent to the prison.
Those from 16 to 80 generally are
sent to the reformatory.
The average gross cost for man
each year in the prison, which has
an average daily population of 2375,
is $23066.
In his report dated June 80, 1885,
Warden Louis E. Kunkel of the state
prison said:
May once more urgently re-
quest that you exert every pos
Sible effort to secure necessary ap-
preparations for new buildings.
1.-The hospital for criminal insane
is not of sufficient size to properly
care for a rapidly increasing GRIM
inal insane population. At the
present time We have a number of
men who should be housed in the
criminal insane hospital, but lack
of quarters prevents.
"1dleneSS presents continual
problem and, at the present time,
plans are being made to further
eliminate the hazard of idleness
among inmates"
Population of the reformatory
with a capacity of 14o0, is 2146 to-
day. At the Indiana Womans
Prison, indianapolis, it is 149. There
were 1905 prisoners at the Indiana
State Farm, Putnamville, June 80,
1885; the average daily attendance
at the Indiana Boys School, Plain
field, is 478, and at the Indiana
Girls School, Clermont, 271.
259 Paroled Last Year
The State Clemency Commission
in five sessions from January, 1885,
through January, 1886, was able to
hear 1742 cases. Of this number
259 were paroled, $50 committed, six
pardoned, II paroled and fines re-
mitted, one committed and fine re-
mitted and one final discharge for
parole granted.
Only two paroles were revoked,
but 1853 petitions for clemency
were denied and los cases were con-
tinued.
The commission, which each year
Turn to Page Three