The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-20
1HE STATE PRISONS.
GOOD Showing Made by CcnyIcts at CIiuton
Prtson IN Road Making.

htBANy. Jan. 10.-The report OF Superin-
| tenjent athrop Of the Department OF state
Prisons IS in the hands OF the printer IL
shows that at the end ~ the last fiscal year the
number Of convicts in three State prisons was
3l9l. being 100 less than year previous.
The average cost Of maintenance was $500
for each convict
Tho superintendent says that last year the
financial results Of the industries in State
prisons were not as satisfactory as usual.
This was owing 10 the depression In business.
which affected the sale OF articles manufac-
tured to the recent legislative restrictions
ne to the kinds of Industries which
should be permitted and 10 the employment
OF some ufthe convcts in road building and
in the construction OF new workshops and
other prison buildings. The main object ia.
of course. to Keep the conVicts ut work. and at
the same time not 20 permit their labor TO
compete with that OF free men. There were
only .3OB convcts employed in productive
Industries on Sept. 80. 1893. COMPARED with
2 lG2 on the same day in 1892. This falling
or affected the prison receipts from indus
tries materially. At the same time II 10 grAt-
fying to know that the employment of convict
labor in building workshops at Clinton and
Auburn prisons has given excellent results In
construction. and has saved the state about
At Clinton Prison seventy eight men worked
for seventy two days in constructing a Macad-
past the prison. and along the road TO Platts-
burg. About three niths OF a mile Of road was
completed. As this road runs through the
town. it was made from thirty to forty feet in
width Tho Same Macadam road OF eighteen
feet wide as intended in the future. would
cover nearly mile and one tenth. Lime
stone Ia preferable for rOndmaking. Interior
ence with the men ~ citizens was slight only
two instances coming TO our knowledge. On
two different occasions intoxicated men In
sisted on talking to the convicts and giving
them liquor
The largest item in tho statement Of ex-
JenScs is that caused by escaping prisoners.
Three men made the attempt while working
on the road outside the walls and away from
the prison, and two are still at large. one being
recaptursd. When n prisoner escapes every
EFFORT Is made to rccauture him. and TO that
end not only are the prison officers scattered
through the surrounding country to search,
but citizens are engaged to assist. The ex.
Denso Ot escapes has been charged To- road
guiding Warden lhayer says that with last
year 5 experience he expects to materially de.
crease tho expense this year II the work Is
continued. Ten thousand dollars was appro-
is how 1t was expended: plant S2.44O; guards
50. lJ4; teams. Sl.uDI: escapes, $1,000; ems
Rlnecr. $40; eundries STA.
Taking into consideration that the convicts
work eight hours per day only and that they.
as well as their keepers, were Inexperienced
In road making. the above showing is one that
Is entirely satisfactory. That n limited num-
her OF conycts can be worked successfully at
road building Ia now an established fact and
that the road constructed is n ilrst-clnss one is
conceded by every one who has seen it