The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-02
Virginia and Her State Prison.

hrse cities, We fnd the STATE prisons thiny populated
virginia one Of the largest States Of the Onion. and CON
tenth Of the Offenders against the Avs. il reimbursement
hat New York ha: AttAe date Of the last rspo, from
prisoners in charge Of ito ocsrs $50 Of them were
white males 81 coored males and 50 colored females
OF the $50 white males, 81 wsre natives Of foreign
This appears to b. one of the very best managed
prisons in the county, and has eonrved always 70
guards are furnished from the Richmond arnory aad
ccst the prison nothing; The yarisd enploymsnss
q e sss "s,. snaassa IN
making boots and shoes, 4 making harness II ma
ing, poi.nins and painting AXES, mailing naiii-
stones, II wneelwrishting, 4 making carts making
earpsntsrns, coopsring and 80 .. manufacturing
eoutry Jersey and hnasys Here are smploymsnts
enough in al orscisnss to m.ke the prison pay wel
particularly when the State makes isse customer in
everything made there that 1t may have occasion to
buy.
$2s SS9 49, s expenses for provisions, clothing, and
such like Objects We cannot correctly ascertain, but
gain Of 81 on the years operation, Is claimed y
che expense Of the outside guards Ike other prisons
would have fallen behind about the amount TAX
ought not to fail do with the different branches Of
mechanics and manufacturer there carried on.
Two Or three months tn ago al The SDs M ps
the State Of Virginia one hundred thousand dollars
The present manager Of that estsbishment has held
fore the advantage Of long experience wsl great
intelligence
The above article from the Washington Sentinel,
is made up from the report OF the superintendent
Of the Virginia Penitentiary. for the fiscal year OF
1863. The report for the fiscal year Of 1854 has
Just been published, with the public documents for
the Legislature. From this paper it appears that
on the 30th Of September last, 1877 white persons
were confined in the Penitentiary Of Virginia-one
woman only, who has since been discharged, and
96 free persons Of color. IL Of whom were females;
making in all 1885, an increase Of seven white per-
sons and nine Tree negroes corresponding wish tae
increase, however, we learn, goes rapidly on; for
they have no less than 30S inmates &t present. The
Superintendent has annually, for several years.
called the attention Of the Legislature to what he
deems the inadequacy Of many sentences under our
present laws. In this opinion the Dh ectors concur,
and in their report Of the 4th Of June last, they
..again invoke the Governor 70 bring the subject
before the next General Assembly; They remark
posed almost and with great pleasure
refer to that portion o; the spernteDdents report to
the Board On this subject which Is treated by him With
much ability and thoroughly that we cannot add
any thing TO its force.
We quote the following paragraph from the re-
port of the Superintendent OF the 18th May last
OF the free convicts lloO received twenty three
under sentences for one year. four for eighteen
half years respectively; making atty per cent Of
Der Of mechanics received in this institution has always
been remarkably small than sixteen per
cent and the proportion for several years past has been
much less probably In consequence Of increase Of
free negroes. Among the 107 there were thirteen me-
ehanics only in the branches carried here five OF
whom had acquired knowledge OF their trades under
sent< In this institution the residue of
composed for the most part, OF mere aborera
idsrs women and men of broken down constitutions or
otherwise unqualified for profitable dre:t
ly after imprisonment.
The Superintendent thinks that
In addition to the increase Of crime which he Colonel
Morgsn) believes no one now doubts under the nfu.
Of tho code it hardly be Longer considered
matter Of speculation that the present laws are
favorable alike to the reforming and self supporting
founded and long and ably maintained BY the friends Of
humanity There principles are inaeparably connected
with m More than n. the
law requiring convcts TO be taught in mechanic trades
almost mprseticabe and necessarily to make the sup
whom Ties have already injured by crimes Thus they
made to inHict double injury upon the Innocent
without much capacity for bsnesns tnsm.Sss The;
are also, exposed to the corrupting innenc Of the
wertt men, without hope Of learning useful trade or
but little incentive TO Improvement in morals, or to
restraint upon mind already embarked in the pursu,.
hardly avoid mSbas that
The Superintendent remarks, that since it has
been Pretty well ascertained that short sentences
are in general unfavorabfe to the selfsupporttpg
principle, new views are taken upon the reforma'
dish upon the earnings, profits and losses Of pene
kn,isries OF near four pages Of close matter, well
designed to establish the CORE tness Of his position
He shows from tho reports Of several penetentares
to fhort sentences, that the earnings small, and
the expenses and losses to the State large; and that
where different policy exists the earnings are
larger, and the financial results better. For example,
at Phiadephis, the prisoners earned IN average Of
$71 26 par head, and their mere support exceeded
the amount earned by $4,469 76, which, with the
salaries Of ofHcers $l4,86S 40, and some items for
repairs, abow that the whole expenses for the last
the Western PeIitentiary Of Pennsylvania, (Alle.
gbany City, the average amount earned was $54 IS
per head; and the mere support OF the prisoners,
without giving the salaries end repairs,) exceeded
the products Ct labor by So 1863 GO.
In the Maryland Penitentary, at Baltimore, the
deficiency last year was $s,516 o., when but the
yesr before profit resulted from convict labor.
The average earning last year amounted to $48 06
per head. The proportion of free negroes La forty
thirty four per cent. In the Maine Peneteutsry,
where the short sentences amounted to twenty-five
per cent, the aver age amount earned was SIS 81
per head, but mot sufficient to pay expenses by
$3.50 90.
In Ohio with SIS prisoners, with only eleven
per cent of short sentencesD three large can en-
gires In use-a well adjusted system Of manufac
turipg-and the employ ment OF q large number Of
convicts IN building new State capitol, Col Nor
gan thinks peculiarly favorable circumstances exist
for profitable operations; and the report OF last
year exhibits balance in favor of that institution
Of 81 1893 ~. The average earning was equal to
$l34 81 per bead. Notwithstanding this appa-
rently favorable exhibition of the operations the
Directors of the Ohio Penitentiary say, in their
last report, " when the plan Of that psnitsntisry
was first proposed, the opinion was advanced. that
instead OF criminals being charge upon the State,
they woud be made 10 pay all the expenses Of their
punishment"
In the report of the directors for the year 1886,
they said that the experience Of another year fur
nshes additional evidence of the correctness Of the
opinion heretofore advanced, that the time Is fast
approaching when the vtTtuous portion of the com
munity will cease 70 be taxed for the support and
punishment OF the criminal. In broad and unlimt-
ed sence, the Board say, this prediction never
has. ard probably never win, be fo6llsd."
In regard to the Pententiary Of Virginia, it sp-
pears that for the year ending the 30.h Of Septsm
Der last, the balance in favor of the institution
manufacturing accounts, was (after charging the
ealaYies OF the officers, directors and pbyncian)