The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-17
NEW YORK STATE PRISONS.
WHAT THE INVESTIGATING COMMITS
SIONERS UIVE TO say
Grcnf Improvement, but Plenty Of Room for
increasing sing In June and October
Discipline, Favoritism, and Population.

Grcnt Improvement, but Plenty Of Room for
increasing sing In June and October
Discipline, Favoritism, and Pecuiaiion.
The report OF the surviving members of
the Prison Commission, Messrs. Sinclair Tousey,
Archibald &. Niyon, and Louis ID. Pilsbury, Is
not pleasant reading. with the APPENDED testi-
mony it makes bulky volume of over 800
pages. The Commissioners did not have time to
make an exhaustive Investigation; but they
bave found out enough, aud more than enough,
to Justify Gov. Tilden's demand for reform.
This Is the condition OF things they found at
Sing Sing IN June last:
The grounds occupied by the state for prison pur.
Village puoc 6swsys by u, SIDE of and over ~ Ike
prison grounds; railroad with OF trains
have captured i1ccm@tiyes and escaped broSd liver
0ass al h ron S sce exc s p al
out or conyots IN the prison wnsryss used by village
supPyng prisoners Win almost ANYTHING they would
he Trees or c,nsresafod in sroups YOui IN eooI
pns,. w a espT Pass al sos S S
sa , Of sSa saosa an ssl change 3
atSe pe cent m pSs fSI
trey experienced M and totally unit for their duties
pleased, seldom ns .rueed in duty, having scarcely
sGy discipline among themselves, tdey enforced but
ylcts TO walt on them, both having comfortsOe seats
time ssnalng as conveniently to the convict walter US
At their October visit they found matters
much improved better disciplined and more OF
| prison look about the place.
Inc Clinton Prison they found was more de-
moralized than sing Sing. though leaving much
to be desired. Here. too they say, the keepers
| and guards were without uniforms and very i'm
| perfectly instructed In their duties, while the
| wooden fence - UNIT for its purpose, and some
| Of the buildings. as at Sing Sing, were In perish
| Ing need of repaira.
The Auburn Prison was much more satisfac-
| tory. The omei.ls were OF a better class. well
| uniformed, and offlcer-like in appearance; tho
convicts under better discipline; the whole es-
taolishment had more the appearance OF a
prison, anu less thut or comfortable place OF
| retreat yet much needs TO be done there to
make the prison what II should be. The asylum
Tor insane criminals at Auburn has been i'm
proved, out here, as In all the other institutions
visited the appliances for putting out IRE are
| very Inadequate.
| In May tue Elmira Reformatory was found I'M
| III for the rece tiOn of prisoners. BY NOyam-
| Der great IMPROVEMENTS had been made. Tue
| make the institution what 1t should be. 1t Will
| then have room for 54 prisoners. they are
| uouoiuI ABOUT the pohcy OF relieving the pri--
obs by transferring cOnvlcts to the refor nat Dry.
| Ihe great evils to be remedied Ia tue prisons
| are oyercrowding, / security, favoritism, tns
| wastefulness, and general looseness In the ways
| Of dong business. Most Of these are the results
OF defective discipline, wnicn ia It's II TIE re-
| suit natural aud inevitable, OF political (yarti-
| SAM appointment. Tho wonder Il that ~ lre
| money Isn't lost. and that more convicts do not
| csc pc. Inc conditions OF reform are the DIT
| yorce Of the prison system from pOlincs, and
the nlliug Of tue Offices with honest aud Juoi-
ciOus men.
Specifically; The Commissioners ar cle.r that
| each convict should h-vc cell 10 himself
| They do not 1Id that convicts and lunatics are
| often abused nowadays, though some cases
| of cruel punishment were brought to thrii
| notice. Few cOmpiaints were made to them Dv
| conNlcts on tins score. still there - too much
| abuse YET. and too much neglect Of the iceDlt
ana SICK. favoriiism IN the treatlnen. # CON
ycts Is very prevalent aud very dcmoraliflng
| There Is more complaint among tns cunvicts
about this than ANYTHING else. some have Ueeu
| hired to comply with PRISON rules by giving them
| specih privileges allowed To buy luXuiies; IL
| conduct Unchecked correspondence To read
all sorts OF newspapers. and to do pretty much
as they pleased, except, perhaps. TO leave the
prison to occupy places Of trust. as clerks
weighers, and neGsurers, &C., &c. In thi.
way the other prisoners have been wrong
| ed aud the state defrauded. he Com
missioners nnd that there has been ex-
| travagance in buying supplies putting up build.
ings, &c that productive mines belonging
10 the ate have been abandoned; thlt state
| property has not been properly cared for; tuai
in some cases officials have diverted 1t to theii
| private use aud benefit IN short, that the pccu.
M. /, interests OF the state have suffered IN "A,
| great variety OF methods as tue dishonesty o
officials could invent is manifest. Perhaps ~
some cases II WAS tho result OF financial stdpid
| ity but probably u was Otherwise SperiI
attentions paid to the case of Allied Walker
Sing sing contractor and warden, VINO procured
the passage Of an act under which the state uaiC
hun sl2,OO fut ilme kilns and nxture-, whlct
no bought IN 1888 at the rate OF 5000. IN,
| commissioners tnink IL more tnau probable
that other officials n u share In this transac
uOn. AtChatOn tue pecuuiary loss has resulted
manly ftOm a persistent effort to employ IA,
conylots IN an Improbable business rcquirInl
VERY expensive machinery and the employ ment
at large expense, II civilians skilled IN minin!
and manufacturing. At Auburn the prc 81 nj
administration Is commented, but evidence wa
found that former officials had done business VI
the snug sing plan.
| The Commissioners recommend a reform o
the present practice Of admitting i.ht seer5 &
the prisons; wall on the land side. and ifoI
picket fence on the water eide at sing sing: Tn
closing vi all public highways over tue grounds
suitable wall at DdnuennOrA; the use Of IN,
| PRISON there As strictly penal one for the wOr-
orenders the employment OF the conyicts tuer
exclusively IN mining ore Tor the present; tn
selling OF all land, both az sing Sing aud Diuue
| mora, not needed FOR prison purposes; ana tn
Abandonment OF the female prison ~ SinE Sim
as soon rs one more suitable can be prOyile,
elsewhere; "A simple prison code: and the ap
| pOntment OF "a State agent to look after the Ia
| terests OF discharged Conyicts so far as to ni
| them In finding employment, that they may no
be driven by necessity 10 repetition Of crime.