New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-06
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NtrskBs sHs fhKssN sssikN Ut MANAGE
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81 iAs rector ~ me fr,ssss
hH The editorial columns At THs fHiRVss
80 Oelohel contained "a article eRilipi hFilsea
f,pats" wAiph aWestol mv a,teAuaa, iheFa asa ssma
peiuts m u wih aTa misi sdms 20 he geHeFa ruhiie
amt a. ennaius ahar rFapps'oas that ao based Urea
az erroneous assumrien al facts agree with Yeu Va
ho general statement hat W. aust he able 10 shaw that
our prinas ara geformAtory before We can score any
zeal profit ia tue management Of them. What iojeot tots
the implied charge Of monoenoy the part OF our present
prison management. when. only eight years ago, tho
announcement made that our prisons running
In debt ordinary support to the amount OF nearly half
a million dollars annually, do not remember that
TIE TRIBUNE person alleged that such statements
were "uttsry misleading" Why, hen' should the
statement that the receipts Of Sing Sing and Auburn
Prison, were 80 much In excess Of the amount paid out
for their ord iry support FOR the month ~ September
as 10 leave balance OF $3.50 In tho treasury OF the
prison pronounced utterly miseading"i This is a
financial result IN the management OF our prisons never
before attained and the announcement Of such result
cannot prove misleading except TO persons who under
take 70 confound financial with moral results
II that since the management OF our prisons was
placed in the hands OF a single individual the financial
condition Of those institutions has gradually Improved,
till under the management Of superintendent Baker
the splendid ana unprecedented financial result Oh Dep
teber s3i has beeu 1t is also true that the
us who connected with the prisons prior TO the
inauguration present system must bear witness TO
the fact improvement has been nadc In the
moral condition OF prisons and our prisoners For
the past five years prison population has gradually
diminished When we take into consideration the vast
increase in the population of the State the steady dm-
mutton OF prison population is something remarkable
In estimating the cost Of criminals TO the people Of the
State YOU quote the somewhat vague statement OF the
State Prison Association that the spoatiOns Of certain
criminal, amount the OF six millions Of dollars
annually. Precisely why this statement should
appear in connection with the announcement OF
profits over expenditure in the ordinary support or
prisons not clear. oar prisons more chargelbe
Tor the damage done by criuuals than churches.
Why do not our chuchc, prevent TINS damage dissent
from Your that go per cent OF those who leave
oar prisons return TO criminal courses The number
who does not amount 10 p per cent. SO III az
Auburn Prison Is concerned dgrins the a.t past h!c
round numbers OF these less thah my have been re-
turned Ia prison. and from all The Information have
been able to gather confidently aidrn that less than
hundred Of them can be found upon TIE records of
the other prisons Oi The state am aware that the num-
DISCHARGED from sing sing, but from all tie
statistics | have been able 70 gather on this
crime afIer being discharged from the pIs-2s If the
state l. less than p 49, cent the wEole number 50
Your comparison Of results between the prisons OF
the State and the Enira Hcormaoiy Is hsriy fair and
discretionary power which enables them 10 determine
tue duration 81 the term OF Imprisonment of csch and
they cannot hold prisoner beyond the full ma Nmum
term which he night have been sentenced forhs crime
lhc managers may discharge parole prisoner at tho
, -, ,Stias as tbey NAV hpo~e Tbcr may r.oir.
the lifolcd prisoner to report 10 them ~
~ to"'H gc empiorcd etc. ec; and the MANAGER. have
the power 10 thrust the arocd prisoners back into the
hold him for the rull mcNpIed term 10 which he might
have been sentenced Our prison authorities possess 40
such le,cra.c this, though believe that II should be
given hcm. Ia view Of All the iacts-and nave others
TINT will present. am surprised ~ the lare" number
ou say 10 per cent? of those d-chare" from tie Re
exercise the right u transferring io the state Prisons
all those who are discovered io NE oit on ndeis Ot
cuursc this embraces the number Of reporters In ohf
prison, ma SaS ' i thy HfSG be- " S,Sss
Permit ne AT this point TO mew-s Tor
of orr rr,u A.-orio,ion. Aila,, 2ooi uot ruotfih,
c,ccWic gnmiy.g luoms igm me '.'gia . -, 'he
utuou having n,cu tiunsnii'd ar - irhn h,ie ,the
IpDmnionl Weir mnstp w ,nn,tl... ,t'r, ihe ~
t,tunnii, tr Aurtn I1isnu eoNtnN 40 Wi"noia The
telu.n's' the mu, a.,f Wn Mbth 'i',e ,n,n w" '
Nam no. uii eff Mrm We,u ID oil ,o,o,is," lat
vhrM,I NO t., lu statement f tnn superintendent 90
iha r.uU,Atou tht mauN-'i' ha ih Uhoi ,aao Weh'
.'i un,ai, tee Iu.top ,unrti.ru ot triuta ho.Nrrl
uo vo sems Ices. ,uao Noh niat pruuu manascfa of
anr o r institutions tn uuutd thuif mt"l-hloa ur'h
thp o. aud Aond ,uN to Ao laot tho nrneht at thq
itl-atluu witch enables tltu ltn't B" trlMs 1Ae4 A'i
va , hat "h"iy Widen, that employment is
putrut ,eneA in The reformation ul ne of" 'a''r1
AN o' r,ruuoi 1" o llsl se''A ., slsA' ,to Wt,o
have been published nom time 10 time simply show That
under the present management our ll,ons have been
made SELF sustaining 50 Ntt as oid.naFy support u eo-
ceutd instead Of running US Ia dent Tor the sane Iuf-
pose to the amount oI nearly half million dollars
annually a, they were doing under the old management.
take ID that the publication Of such financial statements
will enable persons of ordinary intelligence 10 see tgae
such results are not aanable unless the prisoners who
the money at the same time receive The uIl moral
benefit which l. SUPPOSED to arise from steady employ
nent at useful toll Most truly yours, ch,n,.,,
41Ils Y t,rIt l@,a