The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-20
PAROLE LAW PRAISED
State Prison Keeper Pat
terson In His Report
Declares 1t Has Met
Fullest ExpeCta-
tiOnS.
.specint to The Jersey city Nesus.

TRENTON, Feb. 20, 893.-Although the
Parole law has been severely criticised
lately, Keeper Patterson, in his annual
report. which has just been published,
speaks of it in high terms and declares
that it has met the fullest expectations
of the prison officials. Out of the sew
enty-eight prisoners who have been re-
leased under it only two have been re-
turned.
The conditions of the parole. says the
Keeper. place the prisoners under re-
straining influences which prevent tnem
from INDUCING In excuses Leading TO
crime. They appreciate the fact OF being
under a ban, and their license to be at
large is a constant reminder that II they
violate the conditions of their parole they
will be returned TO prison s~umnarily and
without process Of law; and will also
be compelled to forfeit the remis,
by good behavior. Hence it is safer to
parole a convict rather than to pardon
him, a pardon being unconditional.
Under the former he Is free and unre-
strained, under the latter his freedom de-
ponds on his good conduct and acts as a
restraining influence in keeping him
from his old companions ia crime. guards
Httll dkhiuSb sAN~t
him an opportunity to maintain his de-
pendent family and helps on the road to
ultimate reformation.
Again, it is believed that the paroled
prisoner will be received back by the
community he has offended under condt-
tlons more Dropitious to his success than
would one who has been pardoned. This
for the reason that being still under the
surveillance of the furnishing power he
can be more promptly returned to con-
finemenu and without appeal (as in the
case of u pardon) to the perhaps uncer-
tain decision of the arm of the law.
OUR CROWDED PRISONS.
The Joint committee of the Legislature
joiu with the prison officials in calling
attention to the crowded condition of the
prison, and asking for an appropriation to
enlarge 1t. Additional shop room is
needed and more cells are absolutely
necessary, az the 947 prisoners are now
confined in ZOO cells.
The officials also ask the re-enactment
of the old contract system OF labor in
place Of the present "piece-price" plan.
The new system was adopted to avoid as
far as possible the competition between
convict labor ana honest labor, but failed
of its purpose, and q return to the old
plan is strongly recommended.
The total mount received from con-
Wet labor during the past year was $76,-
058.y 3, an increase of earning over the
previous year Of Sl,687.43 The cost OF
maintenance, salaries. repairs on build
ipgs, aud amount paid convicts on their
discharge, was s195, 696. 4S. The total
cost to the Stata was ss3. 6S7.55 as against
SS9,111,0S of the previous year, a saving
to The State of $5,473.5 SO.
The 918 male convicts are constantly
employed. the principal occupations being
as follows:-On the hosiery contract, 95;
Cd shoes, "a; on mattings. 72; brushes, 9s;
shirts, IS; pants, 81. The others are en-
with the exception of 116 who are report
ed as -'old, inirm and unemployed" and
Sc reported as sick. The female convicts
are mostly employed in making articles
of clothing for the inmates OF the prison.
The clerk Of the prison reports that at
the opening of the year there were 989
prisoners in confinement. During the
number 400 were discharged by remit
lance of time; 3 by order of the United
States Commissioners, 8 p%ardoned: 55
paroled: 10 nave died, ana 5 were removed
to the asylum. At the close of the fiscal
years947 remained.
TERMS OF SENTENCE.
The terms of sentence Of the prisone RS
are as follows For natural life, 6; 30
years, 3;2lyears, 2; 20 years, n; II years
2s; 10 years 101; 5 years, 146. aud many of
them for a lesser period. Essex County fur
nj shed 1877 prisoners; Hudson County,
205; Camden County, SO. Passaic %;
Union. Is. and Mercer IS. Toe
principal crimes for which the
| prisoners were committed are assault and
battery, 60; atrocious assault and battery,
81: breaking, 40; breaking and entering,
62; breaking, entering and larceny, CD
conspiracy, which probably refers to the
ballot-box stuffcrs, 81; bigamy, 10. grand
larceny, A; murder, 26; manslaughter,
20; murder in the first degree, 5: murdsI
10 the second degree, ID; rape, q.
Five of the prisoners were received ae
| teen and twenty; 259 between twenty and
| twenty-five; 1873 between twenty and
| thirty; 90 between forty and fifty; 30 be.
| tween fifty and sixty: IS between sixty
| and seventy; 1 between seventy and
| eighty, and 1 between eighty and
ninety. The prisoners come from all
parts of the world. New Jersey is repre-
| Pennsylvania, Ga. Nearly all the States
are represented and man, foreign coun
tries. The number of prisoners born in
Germany are 81; Ireland, 90: England, 20
Italy, so. One was born ION the Irish
| COAST and one on tine English channel.
or the prisoners now confined In the
| State Prison, 765 are serving their frs
| commitment, 1873 their second commit
ment, 35 their third commitment, II
| their fourth commitment, S their fifth
| commitment. 2 their seventh commit
\ ment and 2 their ninth commitment
| Seven hundred and seventy-four can read
| and write and Al can read only. One
| hundred and thirty-two cannot read mol
write. The sex and color of the prison
ers is as follows:-White males, Isl; white
females, 90; colored males, 10Y; colored
| femalss,9 9.