The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-11
rAnxIrss IN AnxR1oAx rRrsoxs.
Re.-,,- Of the systems Tn Use Ter UtiiisinG ths
Labor or the Convtctn.


There are approximately 10000 convicts In
the prisons of the orty.nvo States Of the Union,
in seven of which tho lease system still prevails
Alabama, Florida. Georgia, Louisiana, No
braska, South Carolina and Tennessee. In New
York State there wero on March l tho follow
ing number of.convicts In tho prisons named:
Sing Sing, 1925; Auburn. 1.050; Clinton, 95o;
woman's Prison, Auburn, T5. Total, $3.50.
exclusive of penitentiaries, county jails and
local prisons, which brought up the total num-
Der to 1884 on that date.
Tho proportion which the criminal popula-
tion,' 30 called tho incarcorated criminal popu-
lation. bears to the total number of .inhabi'
~tants.of each country varies considerably. In
tho United States IL is about 80 por 100000, In
England It is 80; in France, $50; in Russia,
100; In Belgium, 100; in Italy, $40. and in Ire
land, GO. Tho proportion of incarcorated Grim
innls to the f" hole population Is largest In Italy,
where the number of crimes against life or per.
son Is, relatively, larger than the number OF
European countries from which there are au-
thentic figures, J in A Az tla, W During ybd inc g, Ten IN.
CarcCrated criminals in the United states In.
creased from $4,000 to 10000; but during that
period the operations Of American prisons were
cially as regards the adoption Of methods for
preventing competition between prison.made
P sGison Snd f"fit Ito ma Pgod Of 7 fss s msas S Ssw Yof e
among, them, the Constitution prescrioes
methods for avoiding such competition ana as
n result the proceeds of the contract system In
American prisons, which ten years ago amount
cd collectively TO $1S,0 900, 900 in the States ad-
herring to II New York, Missouri and Illinois
were the chief Of thesel, fell Off last year to less
than SS,0OO,O 900, or less than ono-half. In
those States which have rs n substitute what Is
known as the .piece-price system,' particu-
larry New York. and Massachusetts. the earn
ings of tho prisons increased from 81 800, 600
in 1887 to $4,000 900 in 1897. The lease sys-
tom, whereby convicts arc farmed out to manu-
facturers or contractors at tho highest rate of
fcred, and which is found only in such OF the
Southern States as have q considerable number
Of colored criminals, has como out of favor very
much, and where ten years ago the income TO
.he States from the lease system was 81, 900
it is now less than So, 100000. In some of the
States, particularly In the new States of the
Northwest, and In Illinois and in Texas, there Is
what is called the public account system,
whereby the convicts in prisons are employed
in the manufacture OF articles which, II not re-
quired for the, public service, or for public
wards, can, at least, be utilized in that way.
This system has been accepted by many as n
fair solution Of the dispute between those who,
on the one hand, desire to see the prisons solf-
supporting and those who, on the other. desire
to have their competition with ordinary labor
prevented.-The earnings.of the prisons in
which this system prevails were So, 200, 900 In
1887; they were $6,O0o,0 900 in 1897. The num-
Der of idle %convicts was last year greater than
II has ever before been in the history of Ameri-
can prisons, amounting, in fact, to moro than
10 per cent. of the total number incarcreated.