Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1902 — A STRIKING FACT [ARTICLE]

A STRIKING FACT

Prosperity has a Remarkable Effect —«n-P»4son-j?opulation. It Is a remarkable fact that there is a report on file in the office of the * prison at Joliet, Ills., which shows that a whole month passed and not a single new prisoner was received ' there. Not a new arrival during a whole month! What Is true of this prison is subs*antially true, of prisons In Indiana. The i- port above men- ‘ tioned shows .bat thw,prison population of that institution lias been do--1 creasing ’-during the last-five years, in ['Tact ever Bttoa prosperous - times bo- ■ gan. In May, 1805, the prison con--1 tained 1,623 convicts, while at tlio lime of v, ill'll said report there were hut' 1,212 Im<>n and 66 women in the institution. ! In order to show the wide difference in prison population during hard t|mes l and prosperous times, it is necessary to show the receipts or the number admitted lor a year during each period. The years 1893 apd 1894 helped to fill the prison cells. From Oct. 1, 1894, to September 30, 1895, 927 new prlsoners were received in the jQliet institution. "From "TRiT.4:rTB^B-to Sept. £B, 1899, only 506 new prisoners weie ■.ragm-irxM, showing a decrease of 421 In favor of the year of prosperity and plenty of work. The number of prisoners convicted and sentenced from Chicago and Cook county during a like period has fallen oft greatly. During the year ISOS Chicago sent to this Institution 455 prisoners, in 1897 but 288, and during the year ending with "September, TH997'hut 316. The Joliet institution cannot be an exception with reference to this matter. The records of the institutions in all states would show similar statistics. 1