The New York herald., 1877-11-18
OUR STATE PRISONS.


WHAT SUPERINTENDENT PILsBURY SAYS ABOUT
THEM SING SING now sELF-sUPPoRTISG-
SINCLAIR ToUsEY ON THE CONVICT.
Prominent among tho questions which have gagged
the attention OF legislators others in tnis
many years past has been that OF the possibility Of
managing the state Prisons in such u manner as to
make them seli-supporling without imposing undue
amount OF labor on tho convicts. Under tho old sys
tenn, by which there institutions were alto
gelhcr controlled by elective officials, reform was
found TO be impossible and economy regarded
us u Utopian desider.tum The motto "ro the
victors belong the spos" was swccp.ngly illustrated
At every change OF State government, and often, as u
consequence, iguorant, inefficient and vanln
iosted by political influence into til. positions OF per-
sons whose experiences and liety under any other
system in tho world W ,ud have prompted their reten-
tlon. Accordingly II was but natural perhaps that a
large majority OF those connected with the prisons,
from the highest officer to the most petty subordinate
knowing that thor tenure hung as 1t were, b. slen
der thread, devoted themselves to making the most
they could out OF their POSITIONS regardless alike OF
the welfare oi the taxpayers or OF tho convlcts As
regards tue prospects OF both Of these latter now
however, tho present and future are fast Frightening
under the system, authorized by tho Legislature
which has lifted the management OF the State penal
Institutions out OF tho murky and uncertain atmo-
sphere OF politics and placed II under the control
OF one official who is untrammeled by parry alii.-
tons OF any kind. That the selection OF Louis ID.
Pilsbury as superintendent of the three prisons
judclous is already being made apparent by his
success ul efforts 10 relieve the taxpayers OF hitherto
heavy burden.
PILsBuRy's NATTER.
Having learned that ne was IN the city HERALD re-
porter, yesterday afternoon, found superintendent
Pllsbury at te Windsor Hotel On stating the object
OF mis- VISIT Captain Pllsbury modeslly informed tno
reporter that he had little information to impart
.relang to the management OF tho State Prisons
than what had been published In the last ual
port On being gently reminded, however, that tho
subject, and especially the progress he making
toward placing those institutions self sustaining
basis, was one OF unusual interest TO tho people at
large, lac checrully to gve the HERALD all
the Information IN his power Tho foliowng conver-
sa,ion then ensucd, Captain Plsbury leading OH with
the remark, ia the hrst place. you may state that
Sing Sing Prison Is paying Ior ilsell nov"
"How nave you brought that gratifying state OF af-
fairs about?'' asked the writer.
"Psinospaly by improving the discipline. Under
the old state OF things, OF course contractors
10th to employ convict labor OWING TO the iaxty Of
discipline which then exisot AT the present time
could find employment Tor 2, 600 II | had
accommodate that number in sing sing
Prison. You are aware perhaps that our contracts
have mad to be made at low ngu.c, partly ac-
OF the small prices heretofore PAID Tor convict
labor and also partly owing To the uncertainty To
how the new system would operate Now, however,
all DOUBTS on the latter score to have been
set at rest, and the stove contractors have
notified than January l they viii
900 They have ut present little over COO
ana are paying man iorty cents per day: on,
ana after January they wl pay lity cents lhe
Bay State Company employ 800 The snoe con-
tract and the soft hat man iacturer who has been
paying forty cents per day contract made be ore
took charge of the prison. has entered INTO new
contract whereby he Wi! pay nifty cents from Doc.m
ber until May l. 1878, atter which time all pay
sixty ceuts per day or three years Out OF ave-
rage number of 1000 convlcts, all VIII shorty be
work. excepting about 200 force too aI 20 to
DO tho necessary police uuties ut the prison."
THE coNyICrs LIKE IT,
ado tho convicts, AS RUE take kindly to tho
scea sora fs'a a''0p"n0 70 WHICH 'n'S ''e now su0'
They do and for these reasons--they are better
fed than they have been for years. and no partiaty
Whatever is shown among them. All the inmates
treated alike, no matter what tner previous history
station lie may nave been, good conduct IN
prison being the only recommendation that avnis. 1t
is much the same way IN regard to tho prison officers
Politics have nothing with the EN- pIoy mcnt or
dismissal OF any Official IL a man shows himself
good officer he Is retained, no matter what his po.ili
cal IONS arc, and this rule applies to all three Of
''lne wall you building around Sing Sing Prison
will doubtless prove great saving to the State 20
Yes; II Is all competed now except The hanging of
the gates The total cost VI erecting II has been about
$50 900, and have no DOUBT that II viii at least
Sl5, 900 per annum TO the taxpaycrs.p
THE OTHER PRISONS
sWhat progress arc making at Auburn Prison?''
"out OF the average oil !, 400 men there We have
employed contract ABOUT SOO anu the Erobabilites
that before spring all tho able bodied mon IN the
prison Will be - work. The buildings and grounds
all been put III good order, and the disc pine
very much improved propose TO make Clinton Prison
base oi supplies, whera Will be manufactured convict
clothing boots and shoes unwnrc, woode u ware, and,
shori every article used In the prisons. 1t Is also
my intention to bnild, by convict labor, stone wall
around the prison IA order 10 make Il more SECURE
and when TINS Is accomplished VIII probably make
II place OF confinement Tor the more incorrglOlc con-
found NJ the otner prisons. 1t Is also likely that
will send confirmed invalids to Clinton, as the loca-
tion hcaltniui one There men at Clinton whom
transferred from sing Sing when they almost at
The point OF DEATH and they have since quite recovered
their health.
'.can you approximate the time when tho prisons
will be seil-suppOrtingy"
Il have doubt that In two years from all
three oil the prisons VIII DO sclsupportng, and rot
cost the taxpayers ST."
AT this Juncture the conversation terminated Super
inundcnt piilsbury hurrying away to take tram
Albany.
WHAT sIycLAiR roucEY SAYS
Mr. Sinclair Toucey, Chairman oi tho Executive
Committee OF The New YORK Prison AssocialIon, VINO
mas present during the interview, aad who was
u memDer OF tho committee appointed to make n
thorough Investigation OF the Statc prisons last year,
On being questioned gave his views oi their present
condition al ioilows:-'Wacn l visited Sing
sing and Auburn prisuus lew weeks ago
the uiile renee IN their appearance compared win
wnat ! mad observed formerly was simply that he
tween order and disordcr Unucr the old system
convlcts worked but little, and those VINO could pay
Tor them received iavors discipline was Amos, un-
known, but Was supersedci by spasmodic punish
mcnts of a severe character. You asked Captain
slsbury how tho conviets bore up under the present
severe discipline. There Is no trouble III enforcing
impartial discipline. Favoritism among begcs
dissa, siction ana entails undue severity OF treatment
In Individual cases. In tho two pris.ns tnaL |
have indicated the physical condition OF the mcn in
dicntcs thai they have suihclency Of gvod, whole
food; their clothing s good ana comfortable,
ana the men well cared Tor The punishment
record at Auburn shows that prison offences
have been committed under the present system than
for corresponding period under the Old. Tue prac.
tice OF allowing people 10 visit tho prisons thcy
would show--a custom that always intcrlcrcd with
discpiine--has been aboiishoo, and l believe with
good results.
THE COFFEE TRADE.