The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-01-10
STATE PRISON.

The state prison conunues 70 DO ovorcroWu-
ed The number Of convicts therein on the
3Oth' day OF September last was S04, being l56
more than the establishment has cells TO accom-
modate. The daily average for the year was
500. The earnings for the past two years were
s294, !s20.5 and the ordinary expenses syO,-
2lT..S which shows q balance for the whole
period TO the credit of the prison of "a, 7OS.H
During the past year the disbursements have
exceeded the earnings in the sum Of 1881. az.
This il largely due to the general depression In
business which has greatly lessened the de-
mand for convict labor, and made 1t impossible
70 CONTRACT for the work of the prisoners at a.
favorable rates as formerly.
But, in addition to this, q loss of GA, 1852
suffered by the prison in 1873 and 1870 ON
contract for prison labor used in the manufact
ure of cigars, made with one Charles Holdings
worth, appears AK deficit now, when, IN fact,
il was n loss then. In 1875 Hollingsworth
failed. His stock of cigars was taken by the
Inspectors in December of that year by virtue
of the lien of the State thereon, and not dis
posed of until after the annual report for 1876
was made, consequently the statement of the
loss does not appear therein, as the goods had
not been sold or the amount of the deficiency
ascertained With this loss placed where IL
should be- the prison accounts would not at any
time within the past two years have shown
deficit The addition to the east wing of the
prison and to the wagon shop, rs well as the
extension of the engine room authorized by
the last Legislature, have been built The
stave shop and cooper shop have likewise been
constructed, but no work has been done on the
proposed extension of the prison wall The
Inspectors represent the general management
and discipline as satisfactory, and the health Of
the convicts good Invite your attention to the
valuable statistical report of the Warden.
An embarrassing difficulty has arisen in the
administration of Imprisonment which demands
your attention. A woman was convicted in
the Superior Court of the city of Grand Rapids
of the crime of arson, and sentenced to the
State prison for the term of her natural life
The prison having no suitable department for
the reception of female convicts conferred
with the authorities of the Detroit House of Cor
rection with view Of committing the sentence
to imprisonment in that institution, this having
been the course previously pursued in cases of
women similarly sentenced. To my surprise
the management of the establishment declined
10 receive her, and arrangements had to be
made for her temporary accommodation in the
Jail of Jackson county She has remained there
for several months under circumstances of in
convenience not tending to the improvement of
her morals nor to securing that restraint
and labor contemplated by her sentence.
When the transfer of female convicts COM
menced from the State prison to the Detroit
House of Correction it seems to have been the
understanding that thereafter none of this class
of convicts were to be kept in the prison, no
arrangement was provided for keeping them
of them would be sent to the House of Correc-
ton, and such has been the proceeding until the
action to which have referred III the mana
gers of the Detroit establishment may at their
election refuse admission to female prisoners,
then il is clear that some other provision must
be made for such offenders. In this connection
/ NAV add that the management claim that the
State should pay board for all the female con-
victs transferred from the prison, numbering
some thirty-two / am advised that the trans
fer of these prisoners was at the solicitation of
the authorities of the House of Correction, and
that the suggestion Of pay for keeping them is
of very recent origin.
The whole number Of convicts in the prisons
of the State, Sept. 80, 1873, was $40, of whom
only 1874 were females While this showing is
greatly to the credit of the sex, il increases
rather than lessons the obligations of the State
to see that prisoners of this class are we'll and
humanely cared for. l submit the mat
ter to YOU, so that action may be taken to RENE
dy the difficulty suggested as speedily as posi-
STATE HOUSE OF CORRECTION.
The State House of Correction was opened
for the reception of inmates on the 18th day of
August 1877. The entire building with the ex-
cepton of one wing of cells is complete, and
the inclosipg wall constructed. The work ap-
pears to be well done and the buildings admira-
bly, adapted for the purposes contemplated in
their erection The total cost of the construc-
Commissioners seem to have discharged their
duties faithfully and with fidelity to the pub
lie interests. The whole number of prison.
ers up to and including the 3Oth day
Of September last was 4S4, of whom
13l had been transferred from the State prison
at Jackson, and 353 received by sentence of
court. The whole number of prisoners in the
institution on said 30th day of September, 1878,
was 2S3. The whole expense of maintaining
the institution from the opening thereof until
the 30th day of September last was SIS, 443 81,
and the earnings So, Stl 81, leaving an excess of
expenditures of 81, 1898 A considerable
portion of the work on the buildings in progress
of construction during the last year, as well as
large amount of grading on the prison
grounds, has been done with the labor of the
prisoners. No favorable opportunity for con-
tracing the labor of the men has offered until
recently when an arrangement was closed to
place 100 to POO of them on permanent, paying
work from Jan. |, 1879. The managers ask
special appropriation of IS, lS4, 80 for certain
furnishing purposes detailed in their report
They further solicit the privilege of using 81, 900
of the appropriations heretofore made for the
purpose of purchasing land adjacent to the in
stitution.
PARDoNs.
The whole number of persons discharged
from the prisons of the State by pardon within
the last two years was forty-fve. The number
of communications for the same period was three
OF the pardoned convicts, two had been con-
victed of murder, one of whom was released
because evidence developed after the trial
seemed to establish innocence, and the other on
the representation of officials that he insane
when the crime was committed, aud had con-
tinued 80 during the whole term of imprison-
ment In the latter case, although assured that
the period of violence had long passed, and the
insanity assumed harmless type, required
his friends to bind themselves to care for him
during life in such manner as to prevent his
doing further harm. The whole number of
pardons granted in 1869 was IS; in 1870, 49, in
ISL, M; in 1872, %; in 1873 81; in 1874, 30 in
1875, 80; in 1876, 26; in 1877, l6; and in 1878,
%. From this statement it will be per-
ceived that the exercise of the pardoning
power has been less frequent under my
administration than formerly, and the
difference will be the more apparent
when il is remembered that the number of
convicts in the prisons within either of the last
two wears considerably exceeds the number i'm
prisoned in any other year of the series. In
thus reducing the exercise of the pardoning
power have been largely governed by the con-
sideration that the enactment of the Legislature
of 1875. known az the good time law" places
IL within the power of a convict, by diligence
and good behavior, to himself greatly lessen his
term of Imprisonment The allowance of time
under tbis law for such conduct ranges on