Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-12-01
Our State Prison.


| From the report of the Senate's
special committee on changing the
site of the State Prison, submitted
to h e Senate, on the eleventh,
we gather some facts that cannot
prove otherwise than interesting to
the readers of the Transcript. Our
State Prison is far from self-sustain-
ing. On the other hand, the commit
tee find that the Prison, from the year
1909 to this time, sixty years, has
cost the State $213,712,O0 in excess
of its receipts. This sum does not
include Directors salaries and some
contingent items of expense, which
have averaged about $500 per annum,
and amounting in the aggregate to
$4,000. The total excess Of expen-
ditures over income for sixty years
is 231,712,O0-being $3,851 per an
mum. During this time, the commit
tee find that the average number of
convicts has been sixty-five per year,
and that the average loss to the State
on each convict has been $3.50 per
annum.
The committee give a statement
concerning the financial condition of
the Auburn IN. " Prison for 1865
which compares very unfavorably with
| that of our own. The receipts for
labor in the Auburn prison for 1865
were $l19,312,74. The total ex-
nendituros, Including officers salaries,
&c. were $1O3,878,7 0-the income
of the prison exceeding the expendi-
lures by $15,434,04. The number of
convicts was about 500, and conse-
quently each convict earned the State
$22,O4 in excess of the cost of his
keeping. The other two prisons in
the State of New York are not self
sustaining, if the salaries of officers
are included in the expenditures.
For the year 1868 the expenditures
of our State Prison were $7,464, 73,
not including officers salaries, which
amounted to $4,754,75, making the
total expenditures Sl2,219,4S. The
income of the prison for the same Pc
riod was $6,806,06, leaving balance
of expenditures over receipts of &c.
Alb Al, or, including officers salaries,
of 81 1886, or about $25 for each
convict For the past four years the
expenditures have been gradually To-
creasing, and have averaged nearly
$1,000 per annum in excess of income.
The committee are of the opinion
that the contract system has operat
ed adversely to the interests of the
prison and produced this drain upon
the Treasury. They say The sys
tenn of contracting the labor of con
victS has had thorough trial in oul
prison for a period of nineteen years
last past, and after due examination
the result seems convincing that it il
no longer worthy of the extraordinary
4 support it has received" No opin
ion is expressed by the committee OF
the location of the prison Barre men
toned in the BILL but believe it should
be located where it can be made self
I sustaining beyond all possibility of
failure and thus relieve the state from
further expense for its maintenance.
: 1t will be seen by our Legislative
J, proceedings that the bill TO chang,
the site of the prison came up in tn
/ Senate Tuesday forenoon as a specia
I order and Wa passed. by vote o.
twenty-five To elgnt. The bill, W
g believe, provides for tue appointment
Il of a committee who shall make care
e full investigation and report at tn
t next session of the Legislature.-S
$ -Albams Transcript.