“There are 1,250 negroes to 900 whites. There are 1,300 single men and 950 married men.
“There are 419 men serving second terms, 104 serving third terms, twenty-seven serving fourth terms, and one prisoner serving his seventh term.
“Since the adoption of the parole system 2,200 men have been paroled, which number includes the 450 men liberated under the Court of Appeals decision. Less than 5 per cent. of these men have violated their paroles and been returned to prison.
“In the past twenty-one months the present Prison Board has only paroled one life prisoner sentenced for murder. He had served fifteen years for killing a man who invaded his home and insulted his daughter, and had he been a white man he would never have been convicted.
“The night schools are very successful. Next to the abolition of the lash they have had a most humanizing effect on the prisoners.”
Cleveland’s City Farm.—Dr. Harris R. Cooley reported recently in Des Moines, Ia., regarding recent results in Cleveland:
“We have three different departments on the farm,” he said. “We have 100 consumptives on one section, 700 people in the alms house located in another section, and 700 prisoners working on the ‘correction farm.’ These men are convicted of different petty crimes and sent to the farm to work out their sentence.”
According to Mr. Cooley, the farm’s profits from products raised last year were $22,167.04.
“It takes a little nerve to start a farm of the kind,” he said, “as it is necessary for a time to keep up two places. While the farm is being started it will be necessary to have some prisoners in jail and some on the farm, until enough buildings are completed to accommodate all the prisoners. However it is a great system when once in working order and would be a great thing for Des Moines.