Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-17
oosvucrs In rar UNITED STATES.
Interesting Statistics In . New Bulletin by
the Census Omce.

Interesting Statistics In . New Bu1letin by
the Census Once.
A bulletin giving statistics relative 70 eonyicts
in penitentiaries issued yesterday by the CEN
sus Office. Itwasprepared under the direction of
Mr.. Fred h. Wines Of Springfield, H., special
agent and expert, and shows, a. Superintend-
ant Horter states in . summary printed as part
of the bulletin, 1.-THE number Of couvicts in
state prisons and penitentiaries in the United
States on June I, 1880" These conyicts we're
undergoing sentence Of imprisonment for vio-
lation Of the criminal codes Of the United States
or OF the states and territories. and nearly all
Of them had been sentenced for terms of not
less than one year on account Of high crimes,
ordinarily known as felonies.
COMPARISONS WITH Ten TEARS AGO.
The figures given, when compared with
the report made by the same special agent
for the tenth census, show an actual increase
Of 1856 in the number Of penitentiary con-
cording to the tenth census WAS sy 30 iss 7 a.
The number Of convicts in penitentiaries
AZ that date was SO, $50. or including the leased
prisoners $3.50 The ratio Of convicts 10 the
population was 709 in each million. The elev-
e ea,n as census shows the population to be g.
6zz, Zoo and the number Of convicts As, 2S3, the
ratio Of convicts to the population being
million.
NOT so GREAT AN INCREASE.
The tables show the total number Of convicts
In penitentiaries to be 1928. The numberre-
ported in 1850 was SO,659. but the increase in
the population of penitentiaries is not SO great
as would appear from q comparison Of these
ngnres, since q different rule of classification
mas been adopted. In the tenth census 1879
in afk1 H.
were leased out and not confined within prison
walls; were separated from the psnitentiary
population. The percentage of error
VIII be so slight for purposes of
comparison, if they are all included with this
class, that it is safe to say the number in peni-
tentiaries in 1880 was IS. 5Ss. but In 1880. as
ABOVE stated, it was 45, 233-an increase in ten
years OF 1856, or 27.2S per cent The increase
IN the total population was PASS per cent. 1t
thus appears that the penitentiary population
Is growing somewhat more rapidly than the
population at large, but the difference is not
very appreciable. The number Of leased pris-
oners In the south has almost doubled in ten
years.
THE FIGURES SHOW COLOR AND NATIVITY.
In respect of color, 30 $40 white and 1867
colored, of the latter 14,267 were negroes, 237
Chinese, Japanese and $50 Indiana.
In respect to nativity. not including the col
ored convicts, who may all be supposed to be
natives except the Chinese and Japanese, of the
3O,546 white convicts 1904 are native born,
1887 foreign born and the place Of birth
OF lS5 is unknown. Before the present
census this is all that could have
been said on this important topic But an ex-
animation OF the table will reveal the fact that
the native white convicts are divided into four
or really 1ve subclasses, as follows: l2S42 had
both parents native, TAI had one parent native
and one parent foreign born, 65S4 had both
parents foreign born and in 921 cases the birth
place OF one or both parents is unknown. OF
the convicts with one foreign-born parent 7O7
had foreign-born mother and l,0i0 had
q foreign-born father.
coNvIcTs By STATES.
The numerical order Of the states, according
to the number Of convicts in penitentiaries
reported in each of them. is as follows:
New York. $3.50; Texas, 1919; PENNSYLVANIA,
2,36l; Illinois, 2,057; California, 2O5l;
Georgia, 1.72s; Missouri, 1.70l; Ohio,
!,652' New Jersey, 1857; Massachusetts
l.5So; Tennessee, ,4S4; North Carolina, / ,422;
michigan, 1,l0S; Alabama, 1,086, Kansas. 9lS;
Louisiana, S56; Arkansas, 1872; South Carolina
SO6; Maryland. $50; Iowa, 623; Wisconsin. $50:
Colorado, 526; Minnesota. 432; Mississippi 429:
Nebraska, 39l; Florida, 374; Oregon, 36l; Con-
necticut $40; West Virginia, 27S Washington,
25i; Montana, 225; Utah, $50: Maine, ITO,
Arizoua, IA; Rhode Island. l22; New Hamp-
shire, ll6; New Mexico, 112; Idaho, lO2; South
Dakota, 81; Nevada, Sc; Vermont, 81; North
Dakota, 65; Wyoming, 10.
In respect of sex, 43, Az penitentiary convicts
are men and ]. 791 are women. The percentage
OF women is somewhat less than it was ten
years ago. 1t then slightly exceeded AS per
cent OF the total number, but now it falls triae
below per cent.