New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-03
THE VICIOUS AND THE UNFORTUNATE
WHY 1T Is PROPOSED THAT TIE DEPARTMENT
OF CHARITIES AND CORRECTION

Albany Feb (SpecaD.-I, has for a long time
boon the Judgment Of the men and women OF New
York who have made pauperdom and penology their
study that the linking OF the correctional ana char
liable branches OF the city government Is not only
Illogical but in many respects harmful The state
Charities AID Association had advocated the divorce
of the two and a paper by Miss Resale Butler.
president OF the New-York County Visiting Com
rnlttee OF the association. gives the reasons for
favorlng this change. She points out that there
is no analogy between "A man VINO mas prohrh '''o
law and man who has broken his leg and the
habit Of mind which would nj an official to deal
with the one would unfit him to deal with the
Other" Vicious men and women from the work
house are sent to the hospitals az helpers ana
aged or infrm prisoners committed In the police
courts are transferred to the almshouse to mlhgle
with those whose only fault Is old age or msiort-
une Thus the punishment OF the Migrants and
criminals becomes almost pleasure and the decent
inmates are degraded by the companlonshp.
Miss Butler shows that less than one-quarter OF
the persons under the care Of the department are
propery subjects OF correctional treatment and she
believes that the proportion OF the others who are
brought TO the Institutions by their own vicousness
Is smaller than IS supposed Yet the public IN gen
cral looks the drunken wrctchcs who spend as
much time on the Island as OFF 1t AZ the type
of those under the care OF the department: This
state OF mind" continues Miss Butler works harm
in two ways. In the first place, 1t degrades the
decent inmate lowers his self-rcspect tends to as
simulate him to the lawoss vagrant with whom he IL
confounded and to break down the barrier between
poverty and pauperism. while II lessons the dis
grace OF the criminal and misdcmeanant 10 be
classed with the innocent and unfortunate. In IN"
second place II gives rise prevailing impression
that any accommodation and alm0s; any treatment
are good enough for all the inmates, that any AT.
tempt To bring about any substantial Improvement
is a waste of effort and money"
bill introduced in the Assembly by Frank ID.
Psyey OF the NIth Ncw-York District. provides for
this separation OF the two divisions OF the Depart
ment OF Charities and Correction which Is so ear
nesty asked by the charitable workers There Is
to be one Commissioner OF each of The two new de-
partments to six years, at 1890 year The
Wayor NAV remove them on publishing his reason
for doing so in THE City Record" The Sinking
Fund Commissioners are to divide the land. build
ings, steamboats,. furniture. etc. OF the present
department between the two new ones. The city
prisons the pcnitentiary workhouse and the stone
quarry Blackwelrs Island and Riker's Island
are to be assigned to the Department OF Correction
The hospital and asyums BlackweiTs Island Tex
cept the, workhouse. .penteniiary and quarry.
Island and the farm at Central lslip l.. l.. are to
be under the control Of the other department. The
branch lunatc asylum on Harris Island may be va
Gated and transferred to the Department of Cor
rectlon and the inmates OF the correctional insttu-
lions on Blackwes Island may be removed 10
Harris and Rikers islands. The idea Is that even
tually Backwells Island shall be under the sole
custody OF the Commissioner of Charities