The New York herald., 1870-06-03
PRISON REFORM.

Committee OF the Prison ASSOCIATION OF
New York-A Valuable Compila-
ton for the Study Of Philan-
thropists and Legislators
This phanthropical association has now reached
the twenty-ffth year of It's existence. Its objects
are concisely defined in It's charter, passed by the
Legislature In May 1s4e, and which bears the sign
manual OF the lamented Sias Wright, who, as Gov
ernor Of the State, approved 1t. These objects
are:-
First-The ameioration Of the condition OF prl-
soners, whether detained for trial or finally con-
Second-The Improvement of prison discipline
and the government Of PRISONS whether for cities,
counties or States.
formed convicts after their discharge, by an0rdng
them the means OF obtaining an honest livelihood,
and sustaining them In their efforts at REFORM
The Executive Committee Of the Association,
under their charter ana by ''section "a Of Title
l, Chapter 8, Part w.. Of the Revised Statutes"
have all the powers and authority OF inspectors OF
county prisons; but from this twenty-ffth annual
report 1t does not appear that these powers were ex
ercised or this authority invoked by the Executive
Committee to any marked extent, and it is ad-
mitted that less work haabeen done In this respect
during the past year than previously.
OF the persons detained in the prisons of New York
aud Brooklyn during the year 1869 the ASSOCIATION
reports to have aided 1850 with advice, or relief Or
BOTH the may have required; at the instance
OF the general agent Of the association 22O criminal
complaints were withdrawn, having been preferred
from mistake or excited feeling; 27s prisoners were
discharged on his recommendation; 1,o39 liberated
prisoners were aided with board money, railroad
tickets, &C.; las provided with situations, ana 1913
supplied with clothing. This is about the extent OF
the actual practical work OF the association for the
past year. Nevertheless this last annual report
volume Of 514 printed pages, must be taken as
valuable addition to the library Of philantropists
and legislators, from which they may gather much
interesting and useful information. And here and
there, interspersed with long theoretical essays,
there are found statements Of facts and statistical
compilations which are even OF interest to The gene
raj reader, and such portions merit special refer
ence. On the question of
PRISON DISCIPLINE
this report discourses learnedy and elaborately 1t
Is needless to say that condemns III not too harsh
terms, the barbarous modes Of punishment as here
tofore adopted In State Prisons for infracons of
''shower BATH" for instance. have since been
virtually abandoned. The report assumes, from
referred to as such Messrs. Hubbel and Sey.
mour, exwardens, and Rev. John Luckey, chaplain
all of Sing Sing Prison. Mr. Haynes, Warden OF the
Massachusetts State Prison, and Captain Alexander
Machonache, Manager OF the Penal Colony on Nor
folk Island; Colonel Montesinos, Prison Director Of
Valencia, in Spain; Herr Won Obermayer, Governor
OF Criminal Prisons at Munich Bavaria; Count Sol
lohub Principal OF the House Of Correction and In
dustry at Moscow, In Russia, and others-that ali
criminals, as rule, capable Of reformation. The
necessary bases OF reformat0ry discipline are then
explained that ;, Il must @ WORK @ Win nature rather
indeibly impressed upon the human soul, such as
sociabity penitence hope, Inducements to industry
convict by impressing him with the conviction that
the officers set him have his own good as their
object In view. Such system must also provide re-
liable tests guarantee the genuineness OF the
formation in liberated prisoners, and here the Irish
system, initiated by Mr. organ now deceased Is
referring In detail to the several means by which all
this may be accomplished, and tndulgng In some.
what severe philippe against the Grand Jury of
Westchester county, which, in presentment to the
court last summer, denounced the influence OF The
Prison Association as Injurious to the safe manage
ment of the convcts at Sing Sing. the report comes
to a question OF vital interest, the question Oh
as compared or rather in opposition to free labor
The excitement among workingmen and artisans
generally opposed to the introduction OF skilled
labor Is declared to be unreasonable, and long
argument Is advanced in support OF It, the gist Of 1t
being that society is benefited by the production OF
the greatest possible amount of values, and that
unused productive laborlng power entails public
loss. From the whole tenor OF this argument and
the examples invoked II is fair to assume that the
who responsible for the contents OF this report
have 1t in view to change our prisons from insttu-
tions for the punishment OF malesact0rs not only
into literal houses Of correction and refOrmatory
asyums-whch to q certain degree find their justf-
fcation In experience and In the principles Of en-
lightened hulnanity-bue to make OF them kind OF
polytechnical Institutes for the education at public
expense OF those only who may gain the privilege Of
admission by the preparation Of crime
In tabular statement appended to the report Of
the several prisons in the country it Is shown,
among other thtngs that the cost per capita of MAIN
taining the prisoners and the earnings OF each In
several State prisons are as folows:-- i
cost EARNINGS Def
per capita. per capita. ctency.
Sing Sing, N V, per $227 $l22 $l05
Auburn n \, per year. i7S is2 4S s
| Trenton, N. j.. per year 169 20 90
Philadelphia, Pa. per year. 81 81 46
| Pittsburg, Pa, per year,. 101 5s as
There are some few State prisons where the earn
OF e tn e cost q
Carson City, the cost of keeping each convict is
81 1854 per year. and the earnings are thirtysx dol
! lars but here the prisoners are properly made to
| work in erecting prison buildings, for which no
! cash earning Is calculated.
! the State Penitentiaries Of twenty.seven States
Sv oH OF s O. Stns ten o Tos Sse give Ss
may be tnken as the aggregate OF prisoners In the
whole United States who are employed on work that
produces cash income or about three-quarters. The
average per capita cost of convicts IN the state
prisons was $780, and the average per CAPITA earn
ines were $3.50. The total expenditures OF the
prisons in thirty-seven states were $S340635, and
the total earnings Of convlcts 81 376, ,90e leaving an
ar Of , As 70 e e aonr
this report itself gives the best and most inteigoie
description by saying that te labor Of twelve con
zens; yet the convicis VIII do nine days work while
the citizens will do but four, thus every dollar paid
for convict labor viii produce much as 81 12e ex
pended on citizen labor" The concluding pages OF
| this volume contain number OF essays on 1.-THE
Seeds Of Crme,n the Capitalists OF Crime" &C,
which are all very readable and present much food
1 for rejecting minds.
| SHOCKING ACCIDENT IN NEWARK
A Man Crushed by nm Ore Crusher and the
Machinery Taken Apart to Extricate Him.