The New York herald., 1876-03-17
PRISONS AND PRISONERS.

TurRTY-FIRsT ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PRISON
AND DLACKwELL's S IsLAND-sUGGEsrED REM
EDIEs.
The Prison Association Of New York presenteds thr-
ty-lrst annual report to the Legislature Thursday
giving account ofs work in 1875 and making
mendatons questions affecting prisons prisou-
ers in the three State Prisons Tho number OF inmates
the 1st OF January 1876 $780, against 2o2 at
the same time last year. In the penitcntarcs the
number of inmates in 1876 596 against 900 the
year preceding, being an aggrcgagc increase in the
State Prisons and pcnitentiares OF OS9 convcts Tho
number of cells for the accommodation OF these per-
only 2S4 in the State Prisons and GO in the
pc that 562 convcts have to sleep two
in cell the usual size of which is feet high
four feet wide and feet deep.
The general agent of the Association reports that he
has during the year. visited s32 prisoners the de-
tcntion prisons OF New York city aud Brooklyn, and
that 45o discharged prisoners have called his office
and been disposed of as their cases required
He advised and aided All persons with money lodging
TOOLS examined into 346 complaints caused eighty
OF them to be withdrawn because trivial or for
other reasons and procured the discharge of for
cause shown. Tho association has sixty county COM
mittces which cooperate in the work OF visiting the
carrying wholesome influences prisoners and mate
rally contributing the better keeping of the jas
Concerning the latter the report rcitcraes the state
ment it has often made, that they disgrace to
the counties where they are situated some of the
abuses connected with them being identical with those
that Howard so fully exposed remcdicd in his day.
and the TACT that from 900 to 30 900 persons Offend
and accused, are annually lodged in them, empha-
sizes the magnitude OF the evils complained Of
DLACKwELL'S ISLAND PENIrENrfARY,
OF all our prisons, rs the most unpromisng OF any
which the association visits OF all the prisons It is
the worst because nowhere is idcncss so generally
prevalent or discipline more lax. Efforts inspired by
the association which have been made TO get bill
passed in the Legislature 10 enable the Commissioners
OF Charities and Correction TO set the convcts and
paupcrs at work on that island have so far not
cocdcd securing tho desired result The association
has coopcrated with other bodies official or chartered,
enable the supervisors OF counties and the supern
tendcnts of the poor to set tramp drunkards and dis
orderly persons TO work, TO apply correctional treat
mcnt, and 10 do away with the prevalent custom
OF locking them up in congregae idleness within tho
Jail Professional criminals now constitute such large,
desperate and organized array be almost secure
against the ordinary proceedings OF criminal law. and
the Habtual Criminals act of 1873 has TO the shame
OF the state, remained dead letter The result Of
this neglect is illustrated by conspicuous
ring IN Oneida county, where gang OF desperajocs
made Utica their headquarters throughout the sum-
mer. Although they made no efforts 10 conceal them
selves and were known by the police, they were
molested until masked burglary Of peculiar atrociy
was traced homo to them. Ten arrests were
made, three members OF the gang convicted and
sentenced TO eighteen years OF Imprisonment, and,
II TO add fresh illustration Of the utter disregard OF
the Hahitual Criminals act, the other seven rascals
discharged The leader OF the gang whom we shall
call b. was one OF the three sentenced. BcGore forty
eight hours OF Incarceration tho visited by
several Of the convicts to get the last "ousde news
for he Is widely known among the profession a sue
cessful operator. Among those who called WAS r.,
whose term of Office was 10 expire in few
months. B. had partially organized several burg.
laries, some Of which were on large scale, and. IL
successful would hc 'sou thugn tproatabie). Tho
schemes or these he transferred TO r. retaining his
interest in the Transactions such money would be
necessary To- facilitate pardon, and, with this bargain
concluded r. Immediately organized his gang. choosing
three other conyics whose term of sentence would
expire at various times not exceeding six weeks after
his own. Thus, while the law catches the individual
criminal the prison fails to stop seriously interrupt
Inc execution of MS nlans.