The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-02-20
WHOLE NO. $50

ord of the most dangerous and lawless class
of persons in our country, thus contributing
to more even distribution of Justice.
I'd. 1t opens up the way for concerted
action by the police forces Of the country,
and places the Identification of men upon
fundamental principles within the compre-
hension of men of ordinary minds and not
so much upon the intelligence or shrewd-
ness of men.
Sd. 1t concentrates at a given point all
this information, rendering it readily avail
able for the purposes for which it is intend
ed.
4th. 1t simplifies the interchange of such
information between police headquarters
and penal institutions.
5th. 1t substitutes certainty for uncer-
tainty-a thoroughly reliable identification
for the shrewd guess Of the detective or the
scarcely more reliable testimony of the pho
tograph.
9th. 1t can be substituted for present
methods of measurements and descriptions
with but comparatively little expense.
The Bertillion system promises to be a
great factor in promoting prison reform.
One obstacle to the successful operation
of these reformatory methods is politics in
prison management. 1t is ever said that no
great advance i'm criminolOgy, or in the
present methods for the repression of crime,
can be expected while this condition of
politics in the prison continues. The de-
mand is for prison managers who have be-
come experts through study and experience
and the claim is that only such can be sue
cessful in carrying out the principles of the
indefinite sentence.
Our own penal institutions are well man
aged and in prosperous condition. The
Detroit House of Correction is q model of
its kind and Mr.. Nicholson, the superin-
tendent, one of the best informed and sue
cessful prison managers in the country. The
number of commitments to this institution
have nearly doubled this last three years
though the daily average has scarcely alter
ed. A decision of the supreme court has
sent many prisoners there who formerly
went to Ionia and this is quite an expense
to the state as the institution is simply city
work house.
Out of the 2,2S4 received in the past year,
2, 149 were sentenced for ninety days down
to ten days and two-thirds of this number
for thirty days or less. The State House of
Correction and branch of the State prison
in the Upper Peninsula has been opened
only year and has over seventy inmates.
The commitments to the State House of
Correction and RefOrmatory at Ionia have
decreased 40 since 1883, the daily average
has decreased and the number of inmates on
June 30, 1890 was 335, thirty-eight less than
on June 80, 1888. The three forms OF
prison labor, contract, state account and
piece price are in use in this institution.
The warden advocates the use of state ac-
count alone. The term of sentence ranges
from five years to six months and two
thirds OF the inmates are under thirty. One
case l noticed Of man aged twenty-three
sentenced for eight months who had been
in the ID. III. of G.. once and twenty times
before at Ionia. BY far the largest number
of offenses are larceny and disorderly con-
duct.
The Michigan State Prison at Jackson
shows thirty-five less at the end of last year
than two years ago, and an excess of earn
ings over expenses of 81, 161.72.
A portion of the report of the State Board
of Corrections and Charities: 1.-The disci-
pline of the prison has been that which in
the opinion of the inspectors and warden,
would best fit the prisoner for citizenship
when released, which requires strict COM
pliance with the rules of the prison, the
prospect of advancement in grade, and
mental and moral instruction"
OF the 453 prisoners received during the
past year, nineteen are under twenty years
of age, forty-seyen under thirty and the
average of all III the prison is "a years, G
months. 51.2 per cent. of the prisoners are
unmarried. 52.7 have no trade and SOS
were Incorporate. The largest number OF
convictions were for larceny and the most
were for the term of five years. The largest
number of those in the prison were laborers
next farmers.