New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-13
PRISON MANAGEMENT.

The readiness with (Which the Legislature
complies with the demand for an Investigation
of the management of our State Prisons Is a
good sign. The publication of the report Of
the Inspectors, exhibiting continued loss, cx-
trayagance and waste in the administration OF
prison affairs, was enough, to be sure, to show
how great was the need OF n thorough over
hauling of the whole system; but the facts
brought ont are not entirely new. 1t has been
no secret for years past that this condition Of
things existed. There has been the same need
any time these ten years of an inquiry into the
details of the prison management, the same
necessity for some movement III the direction
of reform. But no Legislature has ever felt any
pressure from the outside, any popular demand
for a change, or even for additional lnioIma-
ton on the subject, and so nothing has been
done. The prisons have continued to be used
as part of the machinery of politics; we have
had partisanship of the meanest sort in Their
management-probably something worse than
paItlsanship tOO-heedlessness, extravaganza,
waste, and what is worse than all the rest, Il
loose and vicious discipline, or lack of discl-
plIne, that made them schools of crime instead
of refOrmatorics for criminals. In whatever
light they were viewed they have been source
of decentralization, damage, and loss They
| have put taxpayers to great expense
| to support the idle and vicious, who, OF all
classes, ought to be compelled as part OF Their
punishment TO maintain themselves by their
own labor. They have still further increased
the burdens of society by being nurseries of
crime, and breeding criminals whose idleness
and viciousness compel large OUTLAWS for the
I e Ia. ,,cii.a ap1 tH9 maintenance of
criminal courts, and at the same time increase
! the hazards and the cost of living and the in
security of life and property. In the same
way they have nurtured official corruption ana
promoted the growth Of that large and useless
| body Of incompetent and dishonest men who
| live upon politics and forever seek Official po-
! sitiOns for whose duties they have neither fit
ness nor capacity. They have been in all re-
| spects bad, with hardly a redeeming feature.
! But till now there has been no pretense OF
| honest investigation, no serious effort to
mend the management in any important par
| ticular. And 50 We say that the aIacrity with
which the Legislature has taken up the report
of the Inspectors and indicated an earnest DIS
| DOsitlon to investigate abuses and devise re-
/ forms is a good sign. 1t is proof that there
/ is really a desire on the part OF the people
! that something be done; that the cry foI
| Reform is a popular one. Else we may rest
assured there would be no such eaScrnesS
on the part of both parties to answer
The demand. Our politicians reflect the
popular will. They scarcely pretend to dc
more. Therein consists most of their skill as
politicians and managers. They are mol slow
to discover the popular current. That Is then
| business aud their success depends upon it.
| They have heard from the people on this sub
iect of reform, and they mean to be diligent
or at least to make show of diligence, I'm re-
| spending. The manner of pursuing the pro-
posed investigation is another encouraging
symptom Of the political condition. Mr. Sloan's
resolution introduced in the Assembly on Tues
| day does not turn over the matter in the old way
| TO legislative committee to be treated rs
| a partisan investigation for the purposes OF
political capital 1t instructs the Committee
on State Prisons to inquire into the best
method of prosecuting a searching, rigorous
and comprehensive investigation into tho
management of the prisons, and to report al
"the earliest practicable period suitable
"plan for this purpose" This is understood
to look 10 the appointment of Commission
similar TO the one appointed last year by Gov
Tilden to investigate the management Of thu