The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-30
THE INCREASE OF GENIE IN VERMONT.

The biennial report Of the officers of the
Vermont state prison, for the years ending
July 81, 1876, will prove anything but
agreeable reading to the people of Yer
mont. There is evidence in It, carefully
concealed to be sure, but none the less ap-
tween the directors, superintendent and,
perhaps, other officers of the prison,
conflict which never ought to occur, one
which it should be in the power of some
person in authority to quell at its first APP
pearance, but one for which, under cur
laws, there is no remedy-but of this we
do not design to speak in this article.
1t appears that there are now in oonnue-
ment in the state prison ore hundred and
seventeen conviots, al increase Of nearly
forty per cent. over the number at the
date of the previous report, July 81, 1874,
and a still larger increase over 1869, when
the number was eighty -one, and over 1868,
when the number was sevcnty-siX. This in
crease Of numbers comes from an increase
va llOL Wy ull IINltG'NAl 0NClGEt
length Of term of sentence. Thus we see
thY for the past two years, the number
committed was one hundred snd five,
against ffty-eight the previous two
years, while the average length OF
sentence, for the past two years,
was three and one-half years, for 1874
three and .three-quarters years, and for
1878 two and one-half years-the term
of sentence for the greater number Of
those imprisoned for the year ending July
l, 1873, az well as!for all previous years,
having expired. Indeed, of the one hun
dred and seventeen convicts now in i'm
prisonment, only twenty-three were con-
fined previous to that date, and of these
only two during that year.
The number imprisoned during the year
ending July 81, 1876, was fiity-five-a
number which has never been exceeded in
the history of the prison, and only equalled
once-in 1880. The previous year-end-
ing July 81, 1S7G-the number imprisoned
was fifty, which has only been exceeded in
the years already named and in 1856, when
there were fifty-one; and only equallod in
1888.
The whole number of prisoners confined
since the Establishment of the prison, in
1909, is two thousand two hundred ant
sixty.four, an average of about thirty-thre'
each year, or sixty-six in TWO years, &c
that it seems that seventeen more than the
average were received in 1875, and twenty
two more than the average in 1876, being
thirty-nine more than the average for thu
two years.
Some idea of this increase may be gaineC
from a comparison with Maize. BY Thu
last published report of the officers of tina
state prison-made In January last-it ap
pears that there were then in confinemen
one hundred and forty eight prisoners, be
ing an average Of one to each 1885 of tn
population. The number in our state pris
on is one hundred and seventeen, being al
average Of orc to every twenty -nlne hun
bred of the popuation-being more thai
forty.fiye per cent. more in Vermont tha
in Maine. The number OF persons convict
ed and imprisoned, in Maine, during tn
wear, was fifty.three, or an average of on
to nearly every twelve thousand Of popu
laiion, while in Vermont the number wa
fifty-hve, or about one to every six thou
sand OF the population that is, Vernon
furnished twice as many convcts in pre-
portion to the population'as did Maine.
What ia the cause of this increase {
crime2 1t 10 not because of the increas
of foreign population, for the increase
altogether out of proportion to any sue
increase, and, moreover, there were a LEI
number of persons Of foreign birth sent
etate prison in 1876, than in either of IL
wears 1866 or 1861; and less in 1875 tina
in 1870, 1867, 1866, 1856, 1850, 1851 or
1919; and the proportion of foreign boz
TO native conyicts was much less in bot
the years 1875 and 1876 than in most Of III
years since 1886.
This increase cannot be due to the Ia