| Catholic men convicts | 428 |
| Catholic women convicts | 6 |
| Total | 434 |
The report states that “a committee of the society regularly visits these unfortunates and seeks to convert the criminals into good citizens,” and that during the past year 6256 visits were made.
Rev. M. A. Noel, S. J., is Catholic Chaplain of the Penitentiary, and Mr. P. H. Spellissy is the President of the Society.
PAROLE IN CALIFORNIA
(Our good friend, Col. Griffith, of Los Angeles, sends to us the following account of splendid results achieved in California.)
“One of the most excellent progressive movements of the period is that which looks to a reform in the prison system and strives to convert criminals into good citizens, useful to themselves, their families and society. Governor Johnson has been a leader of the movement in California, procuring the enactment of legislation greatly improving conditions in the penitentiaries of the state. When the new system shall have been operative for a reasonable period, men who have ‘done their time’ will re-enter the world possessed of training that will enable them to maintain themselves in honesty. Many a discharged criminal relapses into crime because society has so ordered his punishment as to make reform practically so difficult as to be almost impossible.
“Eleven per cent. of California’s convicts are under parole. Last month but five of the 363 violated in any way the terms on which parole was granted, and every one was at work. During the month they earned $15,600.55, expended $11,721.08 and saved $3879.47. That is an excellent record, but its excellence will be greatly increased under the new industrial methods to be established for the benefit of the convicts in confinement. They will be taught how to maintain themselves, and as those teachings become effective and hope, courage and confidence are revived among men who would be outcast derelicts were they released now, the percentage released on parole will rise and the number of the redeemed increase.”
RELIEF GIVEN PRISONERS WHEN DISCHARGED FROM STATE PRISONS.
| MONEY | CLOTHING | |
| Arizona | $5.00 & R. R. Fare | Complete suit |
| Arkansas | $2.00 | Complete suit |
| California | $5.00 & R. R. Fare | Complete wardrobe |
| Colorado | $5.00 & R. R. Fare | Complete suit |
| Connecticut | $5 00 & R. R. Fare | Complete suit, over-coat, change of underclothing, working clothes, suitcase. |
| Delaware (Newcastle County) | Earnings averaging from $18.00 to $25,00 | If needed, they get clothing with their earnings. |
| Georgia | R. R. Fare | Full suit |
| Idaho | $10.00 | Clothing to value of $10.00 |
| Illinois | $10.00 & R. R. Fare | Complete suit, and in winter an overcoat. |
| Indiana | $10.00 & R. R. Fare, if released at expiration of sentence. $5.00 & R. R. Fare, if paroled. | Tailor-made suit and complete outfit. Overcoat from Nov. 1 to April 1. |
| Iowa | $5.00 & R. R. Fare | Tailor-made suit and outfit: overcoat when needed. |
| Kansas | “Our prisoners are paid awage of about a dollar amonth, and they have thismoney when discharged.”Chouteau Fund of $1,000constantly on hand, raisedby contributions from theprisoners, and sale of trinkets;used in caring forneedy families of prisonersand in aiding worthyprisoners in making a newstart. | Tailor-made woolen suit, & complete outfit. |
| Kentucky | $5.00 & R. R. Fare | Complete suit |
| Louisiana | $5.00 | Complete suit |
| Maine | “Not to exceed $10.00” | “Suitable and decent” clothing. |
| Maryland | $10.00 to $100 earned by over-work. $2.00 to $15.00 to indigent prisoners. | “Entire new outfit ... presentable anywhere.” |
| Massachusetts | $3.00 to $5.00 | Entire suit. Overcoat Oct. 1st to April 1st |
| Michigan | $7.50 to $15.00 | Full suit |
| Minnesota | $25.00 and earnings, from nothing to $500 | Complete suit. Overcoat Oct. 1st to April 1st |
| Mississippi | $10.00 | Full suit |
| Missouri | $5.00 & R. R. Fare | Complete outfit and overcoat when needed. |
| Montana | $5.00 | Clothing allowance of $15.00. |
| Nebraska | $5.00 to $10.00 & R. R. Fare | “Everything a man wears except overcoat” |
| Nevada | $25.00, “with no strings tied to it whatever.” | “Same clothing they hadwhen brought here.” Itis cared for and pressed.If they lack any clothing,they may use their“discharge money.” |
| New Hampshire | $10.00 | New suit |
| New Jersey | $5.00 to $25.00, according tolength of sentence. R. R.Fare, except to the pardonedand paroled. | “Full black suit,” and theother furnishings. Overcoatin winter. |
| New Mexico | $5.00 | Complete suit |
| New York | $10.00 & R. R. Fare. In additionearnings which mayamount to 1½c per diem. | Complete suit. Overcoat Nov. to April. |
| North Carolina | $7.20 per annum, “on good behavior.” | “Good suit” |
| North Dakota | $5.00 to $25.00 and earnings.R. R. Fare. “Aftera prisoner has credit of$25.00 one-half earningswill still be credited and theother half to General Inmates’Benefit Fund; orfive-sixths of earnings willbe sent to dependent relatives,and one-sixth to theprisoner’s account.” | Complete outfit |
| Ohio | $5.00 & R. R. Fare | Necessary clothing |
| Oklahoma | R. R. Fare | Full suit |
| Oregon | $5.00 | Full new suit |
| PennsylvaniaEasternPenitentiary | $5.00 or $10.00 | Shoes and socks. Remainderfurnished byPenna. Prison Society.Clothing to the value of |
| Western Penitentiary | $5.00 or $10.00 | $10.00 in accordance withLegislative appropriation. |
| Rhode Island | $5.00 & R. R. Fare | Complete suit |
| South Carolina | R. R. Fare | Full suit |
| South Dakota | $5.00 and earnings | Outfit to the value of $10.00 |
| Tennessee | R. R. Fare and smallamount of money | Citizen’s suit and theirworking clothes |
| Texas | $5.00 discharge money. 10cper day for each day servedin prison and R. R. Fare | Full suit |
| Utah | $5.00 to $15.00 | Complete new suit |
| Virginia | $2.00 to $5.00 and earnings | “Good suit” |
| W. Virginia | $2.00 to $3.00 and earnings | “Good suit” |
| Vermont | $1.00 per week till the sumof $100 is reached | They buy their ownclothes |
| Washington | $5.00 and R. R. Fare | New good suit |
| Wisconsin | $8.58 at end of first yearand about 1c per day thereafter.R. R. Fare. Earningsfor overtime may besent to families, be usedfor fruit, or credited totheir account. | Full suit |
| Wyoming | $50.00, of which not less than$15.00 must be spent forclothing | |