New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-01
REFORM IN THE STATE PRISONS.

REFORM IN THE STATE PRISONS.
MORE DISCIPLINE AND ECONOMY NEEDED.
TIn:IR FAILURE TO AFFORD PROTECTION TO THE COM
MUNITY-NO TERRORs FOR THE WORST FELoNs.
To the Editor Of The TrtbunG
SIR The alarming increase of cOnvcts in
State prisons within the last decade, and the largo
percentage OF reconyictOns OF those who have been
ncarcerated In them. render 1t perfectly evident to dis
corning men, acquainted with tho subject, that II those
establishments cannot be armed with new terTors for
felons they should be renyested with those which they
originally possessed in order afford their intended pro-
lection 10 the community and 10 the State from
bankruptcy their account The time has arrived when
the public cannot longer afford 10 slunbor over the sit
uation." The community IL in peril The time has ar
rived Also when the senseess notion put forth thirty or
forty years ago by morbid senmentaisis that State
| prisons intended to be "eleemosynary," pub
lie charities" ms for the destitute" homes for tho
homeless" refugees for the INDECENT or State boarding
houses for the hungry should he dismissed and forever
abandoned. sympathy for fcons in prison was timely
and proper in the days and countries OF Bernard
| Borromco, DE Paul and Howard, and would be so sill
where they brutaly cruelty treated but is out
| OF time and place and here. The late Judge Ed
monds, than whom did more 30 or 40 years ago
in this State to excite sueh sympathy, convinced Of
his mistake before he died And the leading members of
the present Prison Association freely assure the
officers of prisons. in view OF the deplorabe cond
ton Of those establishments that they In favor of THO
most rigid discipline.
Those distinguished humanitarlans who looking
the moral effects of Imprisonment upon the conycts
themselves than they TO the burden which bad disc
pine and consequent ideness in prison imposes upon
taxpayers have reached the fusion at last that strict
military discipline and enforced labor best for them
Hence a limo Of policy which those gentlemen certify
to be injurious to eOnvct and which IL shown by facts
and figures to he so burdenscme to taxpayers should
b. speedily abandoned Poor discipline and consequent
disorder and excsations from reasonable supporting
labor in the prisons have sensible advocates any
where. And the Inspectors must know from their
own observation as well anybody in the State
that good discipline and steady, weidllected labor on
the part Of oonyics Indispensable to anything Hike
financial EX-nspcctor kirkpatrick, in his mi
ncrty report. states the subject in this wise
During the spirit OF extravaganza has srUng
r all eysr s a our a9 Of @ YG has a b e ea@
the ndoient TO or Prisons comfortable homes whcro
they can 81 pea,y 10 ott ID hlHS d ;" eC: ] v"
with prison o@i ami stringent is pine ana ias 81 t i
when furnished BY tn fri nds or The state treat
them dccety never forget that tic taxpayers have some
Interests TO be cared Tor All ESQ things oonsilefe! ana
ycs prisons ti consequently 81 crime.
The character o. our state Prisons nd bo canecc so "a .
DE nndesio't 10 De pt,so" @ ,na , ys pV
"A iaa't u tio - 80 'unt. & ~, nv, id,, IVA
The public nave r,hs w. a he con- cts they siopd
inair to uniers LEY aor to OBTAIN them; tla'
they entitled TO have whatever ter appo;its crave
As Mr. Kirkpatrick has finished second term az In
speclor be ought to have Informed the pIblc more plain
~ in h4 seort o. tho reasons II any he had why he did
not himself put the c0nyicts and prisons back to
their primitive, orderly paying condition. The
inlercnces TO he drawn from his report in that
respect are that he was preyench rom 90 n
reasonabl ant probable from the iact that his
associates erased the substance OF the fOrcg'nS quota
ton from their report They tailed either IN disposition
courage ability 10 restore the prisons 10 Their original
condition. and d.d not choose TO take upon Themselves
any blame for the Delinquency, BAT ny th'f silence
upon thes, points they tacy admit disagrecmens re-
seetins Prison policy with ban aGd give nm INC app.
ft adj dn'aS, of appearing To nave strnggca 90 tse
the prisons 10 Their primitive Orderly paylS coudioh'
stands out in bold relief that the prisons have not been
restored, they should be, roSs Die, 10 thor Original
tIcre cannot exist doubt In that respect therefore
the prisons are If the lan OF Inspection Is nol, allure,
with the taxpayers TN desire OF sec'y Whef from
Their present burden i0r thc ol Ieio3 III 'iS I'LL
prisons convicted Tor depredaton upon society aOs9rDs
all other wishes upon the subject ~ appears to them
the par OF prison officers the three thousand eN
should be made by hard labor, TO dcry the cost OF
their custody and support II also appears to them that
every one OF tlem not needed for cooking, washing,
cleansing and shoe and garment nahlng purposes,
whether thcy in perfect health or nor. should he put
to some productive business and be made to labor al It
during IKE ordinary working hours or every day IN iho
" ar, except sundays and Other legal holidays or which
there are 1903 Aud II also appears To them further Tor
most If them read that a. the labor OF conyes even
thee rd ,l9e ~ Gn~y 9 9 connt l Nom
roe COUNT and Ere County Penitenuaries commands
o,lnt to comnand the same And they not nj all
sad fled with the reasons asSlned Dy the Inspectors
o our state prisons their failure They know that
ordinary mechanics ~, and ordinary labOcrs ~ leus -
With themselves somewhat in this way: They think 800
OF the 3O39 mule cOnyics in three prisons arc quite
,uctlon would leave $500 for service 3O5 days in the
wear: 2,sODx3Ds= SG5.lO0 days WORK. waic1, at 90
cents average per day. would yield S527 ioO-a sum
which ought cover expenses Of the three prisons
In his minority report Mr. kirkpatrick gives figures TO
hear out his statement to the effect that II every convict
ia the Sing Sing and Auburn Prisons, except those de-
tailed as walters were TO be put 10 work a. S1 ION
prices, the deficiency at the Two prisons "o i,n
b. 2i S26 And he says he knows OF no escape from
except in e following 5S ITeD n If contract labor
II can only be done ny nereasng @ sener AZ sing Sin,
The price Of labor be largely ad ancsd by 9etr
those bidding for labor that they REEVE FOR 'ae mp Es
vii be no longer any deuy in letting convict labor success
IN continuation Of this idea he says in another place.
Win e ny way insure the latter O. disciplined Is for the
ras and regulations Of al the prisons and
cyade them allow them upon any To- De
s sr9sR ei that he agent aud warden Visit daily unless
SSsent TT T Te at " Work or are IDLE
well convcts. per oming their d conn
ese duties required them. 1t should be made The impera
prison rom opening to the clos unless prevented ~
necessary absence ana to Vs IN tne ~ Pcp m
ar as twice each DAY that keepers properly per
frmng their the conycts aDorng diligently ana
ObeyDg the rules. SD. - oo,oora am
Tue very simple routine duties OF those two officers are
so completely within line OF duties OF every ordinary
su,erintendent or o men in any employ ment
that to mention them IN report 10 the LEGISLATURE AZ
n,ars like work of supererogaton But there - said 10
be deeper meaning under the ink than upon IL Ina,
meaning reaches the entire practice OF all the principal
officers Of all prisons OF performing all their aDorons
duties by substitutes and those In many instances c4h
ycts The agents and wardens principal keepers CLERKS
physicians and chapains, who were modest private
sef.hepng citizens before their appolntnensare loI
generals with more servants, inside Ncaty IL
NOT unite all those officers in ali the prisons have III ther
service and about their persons detail OF conVct earn
ing nothing the State, who have been sentenced ny Tue
or ,nnre cook their meals and 70 wait upon