The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1873-02-26
REPORT OF THE PENITEN TIARY
COMMISSIONERS.

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Tie biennial report of the penitentiary
commissioners has been published, and is
thu. condensed b, the State Register:
Messr, John Reed, Casper Butz and
Richard Rowstt, having made their re
p, RI as comm ssioners CT the state peni-
Tertiary, It is n ow laid upon the tables Of
the Legislature. The tax payers have
profound reason to be grateful that this
institution Is no longer burden. The
penitentiary is proven to be, under goo
management, a ssli-sustaining institution,
and the commissioners declare there Is no
ressDn why 1T should not always support
itself. They compliment Ex-Governor
Palmer, to VIII ON the report under the
law was made, that the result of their
management ;s due to the new system SO
ably advocate by him in his messages,
and subsequently adopted by the legisla-
ture. Under the act OF 1871 the com mis-.
sioncrs advertised for bids, and succeeded
in leasing the convicts labor at prices
never before obtained. TIE com mission
ers agree in the conclusion that this is the
only method likely to inske the labor of
convicts profitable to the state. They do
| not believe that the labor Of a thousand
or more men within the walls Of prison
can seriously damage the grea t
labor market outside. I he convicts are
reported to be we'll cared for, discipline is
maintained, and good order prevails. For
the year ending November so, 1872 on
| which day the new system was inaugu-
rated, there was an excess Of expenditures
over receipts of S2l, los 81.
In marked contrast, the first year spro-
duct under the new system, ending No
vember 80, 1872, was S36,2i8 II, from
which deduct the sum paid for permanent
improvement, Sl0964 Is, showing q clear
earning over expenses of S25,254 90.
The permanent improvements consisted
Of tho erection of v second story to the
storehouse for the use Of seventy-dve ad-
dit!onsl shoe makers; the boring Of second
artesian we'll; the building of sewer
the erection Of new coopers dry kiln a
new hre engine purchased; improvement,
Of the prison grounds, the erection Of an
area wall along the west wing; grading
ground in front Of prison, and building
the frontier wall, etc.
An excellent, well.stored library has
been provided for convicls' use, aud Is
well appreciated, and the commissioners
have established night school for the un-
educated, which works successfully.
lu view Of the fact that discharged pris-
onors, particularly younger ones, who re.
turn 10 their old haunts in cities, return
also to their old crimes, and are soon con.
victed Of new ones and sent back, the COM
missioners suggest the consideration Of
somo method like the state agency for dis
charged prisoners, provided in several
states.
The sanitary condition is satisfactory.
No contagious epidemic has visited the
institution during the past two years.
At the last annual statement there
were 1889 convicts, including fourteen
women.
At the date OF report, December, !, 1872,
there were 1889 males and sixteen females,
whose labor was based As follows
shoe department, d. SELF 4 Co., 525 men
at 10 cents per day.
Harness department, Short & Brayton, 40
men at 10 cents per day.
Cooper department, T. II. winterbottom
a. Co., l65 men at 70i cents per day.
stone department, W. ID. Richardson. 225
men at slt cents per day.
Butt department, Frank Swan, s. men at
65 cents per day.
Box department, Fuller Cigar company,
20 men at 10 cents per day.
Cigar department, Fuller Cigar company,
l5Q men, the cigar, company paying the
tured, VI %, the one hundred and fifty men
averaging about 10 cents per day per man.
Bids have been made for ono hundred
and fifty moro cigar makers, which are
being considered. The cigar makers COM
prise old, decrepid,' sckly, MANNED and in
firm convicts, unfit for other labor,
Female convicts are employed in max
ing understanding, mending and washing
for the prison.
Doubling the propriety of spreading
broad cast the names and descriptions Of
prisoners, the list has been omitted, but
accurate and detailed tables have been
prepared and are appended TO the report
From December !, 1870 until Novem.
Der ], 1871, Eve hundred and thirty males
and ten females were received. Escaped,
six; discharged, four hundred and fifty
fou rmales and six females; escaped and re-
capture, SKI pardoned sevsnty'ons males.
From December !, 1871. to Novemb Der,
1872, received, Ave hundred and Afty.six
males and nine females escaped and re.
captured, three; discharged, Ave hundred
aud ,wen.y-nins males and eight females;
psrdoned, ffty-eirht males and two
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