The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-12
NEW YORK'S STATE PRISONS.
EFFORT TO MAKE THE INSTITUTIONS
sELF-SUPPORTIN0.
Hundreds Of Thousands of Dollars Already
saved-The Change In the Management OF
sing sling Penitentiarx Convicts- Gilman.

readers have heard something about the re-
form in prison discipline that has takcn place
in the State prisons Of New York under the
constitutional amendment of 1876. which gives
the control OF them t. single State official. and
takes their management out OF politics 1t is
only since last January that this change has
taken place but its results are already SO re-
markabc as &C. justify statement in detail oil
whit has been done to remedy the old abuses.
These were shown up In report made year
ago to the New York Legislature by Sinclair
Tousey. A. c. Niven. and Louis ID. Pilsbury
who srent the summer and autumn OF $40 in
searching into the true nwardncss OF the three
State prisons. at this place. at Auburn. and
Mt Danncmora In northern New York. They
found much fraud and laxity OF discipline. some
physical abuse Of the convicts. though not
much. and IA general mismanagement Of the
prison nnanccs. As n consequence OF the latter.
they found that this Sing Sing Prison. the larg-
est IN the State and the country. showed q def
Tor l,62i convicts. or an average net cost of
about sl6O per convict. The Auburn Prison
with 1879 convicts showed "A deficit of SIG 500.
oran average cost Of ssi per convict while the
Clinton Prison. at Dannemora, with an average
OF col conycts. showed deficit Of ;23O.2i or
number. The total deficit for the three prisons
was sg05,0il for 3.6ol convicts. or an average
cost Of : 1855 for each convict-that is. moro than
50 wook. This was the net cost. after deduct
ing the earnings Of their labor.
Mr., Pishury. the new Superintendent. took
The place Of the old Board Of Prison Inspectors
during February. 1877. when n deficit for the
Ave months from. OF. ], 1876. to March ! 1871
had accrued 81 t2lGO5s. in the three prisons
~ The seven months from March to October,
1877. he carried them along with deficit of
only sloi 355. ard showed for the whole year
but iltie more than half ms groat as the year
preceding For the current year. which will
end Oct l. 1873, he estimates the deficit at only
t20O,OOO, 90 which about ono half Will bc Mt tho
Clinton Prison alone while the Sing Sing Prison
will be-. as II II now. s"li--upporting. instead of
costing more than 100000 month a. II did
year since. During the month - October last
sing sing was ncnry Scll--uppufiing in No.
December. with IN average OF u little moro than
GOO cunN cts, taet, was "a surplus ui about
$1,000 of earnings overcNncn- :. Here them
Is saving of more then s2nuuD a month in the
cost OF managing, ~lh..le Prison, and made in
inc spa ~ a. single year.
done. Tho true answer j. that the same ability
that has pu lhc Albany lunitontary ON u self
supporting basis anu kcpt IL thcr' lor thirty
Stat. prisons and by ih, same ability. | mean
IN, me tn"I in iy7ifm All -'ii9t the sam, man
banN prl- Z = several y.Hfs since the death
Of his lntn"r. Cen, Amos lii-buiy, Who man
nged Ms uNNr- $50 'u- Hni go VOL. Ther j.
no pri- on IN ''l.- rtntiy, nnl D.. baby ,ue in
The world that Diu siI.N f,rs long 30 prr.ui 10
good d mn n,iw l''"i a. g." ANunN lenlt"n-
,"ry uuo n. i"' I.~l uf'.. f.i.. and -iil.
Ia thcr twru'y-uNih ,Ipu.i rflart. Wi.
rHin" Dll = ] " NFh i,f" vac lh-r- f't- ni in"
Albany urs1. Soy, aui with ,ntrc truth. go tio
Board Of County Suu sryIsors py who m tbs, are
Tho cu fomery ord ~ anl lis irline have
been nlaint. o. : 10 .-y Z pa4tmrni Of the IN
siitution. ana strict af. iti.u LAS h..n given 10
the Nc.tilatun au 'l"Nllin, Pc ~ al thr bund-
ings. Ample provision Iua arDm ma 'eutis.l times
Tor tho tcMlOr'ph.s -uft ..if and clothing Of the
prisoucr- AMI oIr .itd j. liurrllll furnish
All iil .Al- iO' thc instifutionand IL Inmates
Air h-- is lniriuioi". for cash and no Ell ut