Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-08-04
LIFE.
Letter. from Philsdclphi

EASTERN PENIrENTiARY.
This institution is situated near West
Philadelphia with an entrance on Coates
street. Visitors are admitted free OF
charge from one O'Clock till five L. VI.
Tickets are procured at the Mayors
office. or at the offices of the inspectors.
The prison was fist opened IN October
1879. From that time until December
5ist. 1880 iilly-eight prisoners were ad-
miitcd; duI ing the last year there We're
mine hundred and forty inhabitants of
the prison. At present the number in
contins mcnt j. about six hundred and
forty. Seven died during the last year,
including one suicide. Tweniy-scven
We're pardoned, that is SO per cent of
the whole number. Nine were parduncd
by tho President and eighteen by the
Governor
THE PENNSYLVANIA SYSTEM.
Thi- j. the only Penitcntiary now c.-
tabii>hci in which the separate syetcm
is administered. Upon the opening OF
this institution there for the first time
in the history Of the United State, those
who wcrr punished for crimes or
Offences against society Were made the
subject Of Penitentiary discipline during
their imprisonment. Each prisoner i
confined in biz cell at all times. save a
[ boil 3 4.
allowed 10 walk in the yard. some
effort have been made TO change this
system. but n vet nothing has been az.
comrli>hed. That greater benefit i
derived from IL. separate system than
from any other system now existing j,
claimed by the advocates of The separate
system. But it seems some " hat re-
markabe that IL this be 80 no other
state can be induced 10 adopt il.
VINO ,KE THE PRISONERS.
Young men. more than one malt Are
under -: five are BOYS Of fifteen who
have been sent here because they could
not be controlled in other institutions
10 which they were sent. The Moral
Instructor demonstrates against the
further Introduction into the Pcniten-
''"' o. 's.- .s'.Nsvs u.~e,,.., .,aUir>.
81 the three hundred aud nine prisoners
admitted during the past year two hun
dred and forty two We're there for the
first time, while one was there for the
sixth: and there j. one who il serving
his tenth sentence, WHO is only thirty
nine years old-One hundred aud fitty-
one were lab)rers, nine were clerks,
one teacher also j. numbered among
the list 81 ,ransgressor-. The average
sentence of these convicted for crimes
against persons is six years and four
mouths. OF those committed for crimes
against property two years and five
months. Each prisoner has his number.
aud his name does not appear in the
yearly reports. Stealing seems To be
the great evil, as Of six thou sand five
hundred and thirty commitments more
than three thousand were for larceny.
Maine has had fifteen of her citizens
confined here. Unmarried men find
this place in greater numbers than
married men By seven per cent. No
prisoner sentenced for life is confined
here, though one is in for thirty-tive
years.
lONCLU SION.
The government Of the prison is ex-
cellent. II does not require as n,uch
effort to govern prisoners under this
system as the other, for the officers have
the advantage in everything. The PEN
ilentiary is not self supporting: it costs
the state something each year. Prison.
ers will not do as much work in con
finement as otherwise.
Z