The law is in force in the State Prison at Michigan City, the Reformatory at Jeffersonville and the Woman’s Prison at Indianapolis. In the Woman’s Prison the parole board includes the superintendent and the physician in addition to the board of trustees; in the State Prison and Reformatory it is made up of the members of the board of trustees only. The parole boards are “prohibited from entertaining any other form of application or petition for the release upon parole or absolute discharge of any prisoner” than the application of the prisoner himself. They may parole prisoners who have served their minimum term and are believed capable of becoming law-abiding citizens. In granting paroles, the boards take into consideration not only the applicant’s record as a prisoner, but his ability to maintain himself if free and the sentiment of the community from which he came. The boards are allowed a wide latitude in granting paroles and in withdrawing paroled prisoners from liberty. All their acts are guided by what they believe to be the best welfare both of the prisoner and of society.
Ordinarily paroled prisoners remain under supervision for at least one year. This is an adopted rule and not a requirement of law. They are visited frequently by the parole agents and are required to report regularly. No one is permitted to leave the institution until a place of employment has been found for him.
Sixteen years’ experience shows that out of every 100 prisoners, 57 fulfill their obligations and are discharged from supervision, 26 violate their parole, 2 die, the sentence of 6 expires during the parole period and they are automatically discharged; the remaining 9 are under supervision at a given time, reporting regularly.
The percentage of parole violators varies but little in the three institutions: 765 out of 2,916, or 26.2 per cent. at the State Prison; 1,198 out of 4,670, or 25.6 per cent. at the Reformatory; 61 out of 213, or 28.6 per cent. at the Woman’s Prison.
The financial report of the paroled prisoners makes an interesting showing. Their earnings during the time they reported, up to September 30, 1913, amounted to $2,142,253.31; expenses, $1,774,672.42; savings, $367,580.89. In other words, these men and women, instead of costing the State an average of $172.00 a year each (the average per capita cost of maintenance in the two State prisons and the reformatory for the year 1913), have been released under supervision and have earned their own living and at the time they ceased reporting had on hand or due them savings averaging nearly $50.00 each. This is not regarded as the most important result of the system, but it certainly is a highly valuable feature.
Taking up the institutions separately, the records show that the State Prison has paroled 2,916 men since the law went into effect, of whom 1,688 have been discharged, the sentence of 134 expired during the parole period, 515 violated their parole and were returned to prison, 250 parole violators are at large, 51 died and 278 are reporting. Their financial reports indicate earnings amounting to $823,136.69; expenses, $629,800.69; savings, $193,336.00.
The Reformatory Reports 4,670 men paroled, of whom 2,666 have been discharged, the sentence of 295 expired during the parole period, 609 violated their parole and were returned to prison, 589 parole violators are at large, 78 died and 433 are reporting. Their financial reports indicate earnings amounting to $1,315,642.76; expenses, $1,143,078.54; savings, $172,564.22.
The Woman’s Prison reports 213 women paroled, of whom 105 have been discharged, the sentence of 23 expired during the parole period, 35 violated their parole and were returned to prison, 26 parole violators are at large, 7 died and 17 are reporting. Their financial reports indicate earnings amounting to $3,473.86; expenses, $1,793.19; savings, $1,680.67.