The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-05-16
Prison Statistics.

The figures and facts Of the fifty.
fourth annual report of the Eastern
Penitentiary are worthy of study. The
report gives the statistics of the year
1888 and the condition of the institu-
tion on the first day of the current
year. The receptions during the year
numbered 400, or 70 more than during
1882, an increase largely in excess, pro-
portionately, of the increase of the pop
ulation whose convicts are there lodged.
This is an indication either that large
number Of the graver crimes were com
initted, or that because of greater
watchfulness on the part of the officers
OF the law a larger number of convic-
tions were secured.
There we're 1916 prisoners in the in
stitution on the lst of the year. OF
the 400 admitted during the year, Phil
adelphia furnished 306, Lackawanna
l6, York IA, Cumberland l3, Lycom-
ing and Luzerne l2 each, and Lebanon
10, while 26 were sent from the Uni
ted States district court. This note is
not bad showing for our county,
which has much larger population
than any of the others named, except
Philadelphia-almost equal to any two
of them, 10 fact York with it's 49,
900 and Cumberland with its 10000
are almost exclusively agricultural
counties and these are generally sup
posed to afford much smaller percent
age of criminals than counties wherein
the people are mainly dependent upon
mining and manufacturing. Lacka-
wanna furnishes a goodly share for
one so young.
Philadelphia was the birthlace of 163
of the 400 received; Germany, of 36 ;
Ireland of 2S, and England of IL.
These figures do not seem to warrant
the frequent plea that our criminal class
es are drawn almost exclusively from
our alien population, and 1t will be a
surprise TO some to learn that the Faith
erland was more numerously represent
ed in the total than Erin, and, that,
while we have many times more Irish
than English emigrants, Johnny Bull
has nearly half as many conviots as the
land of the shamrock.
Of the 400, not far from half, OF
POP, had been previously imprisoned,
one fifteen times, one ten times, one
eight times, two seven times, five six
times, and eight five times.
Here is the plainest evidence that
our prisons are yet far from, being re.
formatory institutions. 1t is not by
any means certain that any prisons Car
be. SO long, however, AS nearly hal
of those who are once sent there are
liable to go back, there is room for be
lief that there is wide margin for i'm
provement in our system of managing
convicts. This subject has engage
the attention of many thoughtful men
and much has been written upon it
There are two schools of prison re
formers, one Of whom advocate the IN
dividual method of treatment and tn,
other what is known as herding. Th
former is believed to have been orig
nal in Pennsylvania, it being allege'
that 1t was only accepted in Europe at
ter France, England and Prussia ha,
sent commissioners to Philadelphia Il
examine into the workings of tn
Easte'n Penitenliary. Hon Richar,
Vaux, president of the board of mana
gers, who has occupied the positio
for many years, is a strong believer i
the effectiveness of the separate sy.
TEN.
One other matter allnded to in tn
report will evoke surprise. Of the 40
only FIVE were rated as intemperat,
while 10l were total abstainers, tn
balance belonging to the moderat
drinkers phalanx These figures wi
not be welcomed by those hot hea1e
reformers who argue at hap hazard tha
practically all crime is directly trace
able to drunkenness. The fact is tha
many of the more serious orders c
crime are such as to require cool head
and steady hands, to which an exces.
i've use of stimulants would not cor
duce. Professional forgers counterfeit
ers, burglars and cracksmeu of all sort
are nowadays more devoted to the doc
trine of total abstinence than many {
those who profess and preach it in elt
quent periods from the stump
Wilkes- Barre Union Leader.