New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-24
SING SING PRISON MANAGEaENT.
REPORT OF THE ASSEMBLY C0MMITTEE-THE con
VICT-LABOR SYSTEM AHD OTHER TOPICS DIS



ALBANY, May 23.-The report of the Com
mtee State Prisons of the Assembly concerning the
charges against the management OF the state Prison at
charges the committee says that certain conclusions
have reached which are substantially as follows:
First-That the State good faith carrying the
terms of ls contracts With various private pares VINO
have contracted Tor the labor OF the prisoners and that
tractors; but we find 10 evidence that the
prison is conducted in the interest OF The contractors
any further than the terms Of these contracts
In our Judgment certain notifications OF the contract
system it stands are demanded both In the in
We also OF the opinion that the beet interests OF the
prisoners would he promoted and, incidentally the best
interests Of this stale well by the introduction Of
greater variety of industries into prisons, aud the
sgnment Of the men ~ their WORK with some reference
10 lhcr fitness and capacity for IT, Ne believe that
IL ia of the highest importance to the State That the
inmates of our prisons should be IL possible trans
formed into Industrious mechanics labOrloving ci-
zens who upon their liberation shall only TO
charge upon the public but shall become producers
Of wealth But the modification OF eur contract system,
which suggest IL also demanded by the ghts OF c
labor The State directly UHtS itself in competition
with its own ctizens-l increases me number OF pro-
manner, and not in obedience to the hxed
laws OF business, forcing an Increased supply
without creating, an Ar increased demand i4r
The complaint is that in certain branches of industry
there than onehth OF one per cent of CON
Wet labor employed IN competition with citilen labor
OF the 200 men employed upon one branch OF the hat
trade alone Onethird convicts. The result is the
this state we cannot assent 10 tle proposition thaJ
such policy the part OF the state is Justified ON
grounds OF political economy or any just theory or
prison management; and We would strongly recon-
mend such modification OF The contract system OF prison
labor will prevent the products Of such labor from
coming into glaring and unequal competition with
Of honest industry outside the prison walls.
econd-That the welfare OF the prisoners Is not
neglected receives such attention aud the
authorized provided for In other State
prisons The prisons for the restraint and punish
ient of criminals aud tLer moral regime Is intended
be enough 10 deter from again violating
laws. We may also observe that hni evidence
that prisoners required to engage in their
weekday work On Sundays
IhiTd-In3t the prisoners are treated, so far we
can ascertain with tmpartauty aud With no greater
degree severity than the necessities OF the
quirc.
FOu''tt-Ihat there certain evils existing in the
prison which call remedy, but for which the warden
and his subOrdinates be held For
instance, the custom of putting two men III one cell
ought to be tolerated. IN Judgment in any prison
the cells small and poorly ventilated at
Sing sing. The officers OF the Sing Sing Prison, how
ever, being compelled TO keep nearly LOGO men III "A
prison containing only about LOO available cells II Is
mathematical necessity tat 800 OF them must be Inv
ing two in cell We wish TO call at
tenuon to the evils arising from the want OF "a
proper classification of the prisoners with refer
The younger prisoners ought TO he put In class by
themselves. 10 place them side by side with the
hardened class VI Offenders 10 organize prison
into university for instruction in crime. II
change Is Incompatible with tho system, it
emphasizes the Necessity Of modification OF this sys
tenn not 70 require the employment OF 50 large
number Of men at any one kind of LABOR.
The report signed by all the members Of the CON-
mittee except Messrs Ciapp, Farrar and j. f. Sheldon
system, the ground that the committee not al
tnOTlzed 10 discuss that branch of the subject.