The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-10
BEGINNERS IN CRIME.
An Open Lettr 10 the Members Of the
General Assembly, No. 1.

providing for the reformation Of begin
ners In crime without punishmsnt
There are some facts which wish to oali
your attention TO- that seem 70 require
TIE passage of the bill at this session.
One is the crowded condition OF our
jail ana woI khouse.
In the last report Of the Board OF Stats
Charities and Corrections. pages 10 ana
10, iinu the following: "lhs maximum
number Of prison and jail men, together
In 1896, was larger by S0 than the usual
mum ber OF beds. In 1896, however, the
numbers inoressod 30 such a degree that
some iurtAer provision for their osr5s mas
become imIeratively neoes AIRY, The
normal sleeping accommodations OF the
two institutions cons sts OF zio available
beds in the prison and jail, l2ii in eson.
and l32 hunks III temporary wooden bar :
rack buiit in TIE yard, making u total OF
$50 beds. ihe maximum number In tue
prison In 1890 was 1913, ana Of tie inmates
VI the jail $40, total 53S, an excess or loo
above the normal sleeping accommrda-
ti0ns. ihe maximum mum ber OF inmbtss
Of this prison in 1896 was i93. and tns
available cells, I24. This excess Of 90 IN
mates was provided for by placing theip,
by their consent, in Jail cells, and the jail
Inmates have To bs careu for as best tney
can by crowding the barrack, by putting
four nlsn in the large Jail cells, winch
measure eight feet iqrare. and as last
resort by placing beds upon the floors of
the oCrrldOls
1he census of Jan. 4. 1898, shows l79
mon In the prison and 279 men In tho JAIL
making an excess uf 96 prisoners over ao-
cCmmodatioI
i am Informed by credibls authority
that 300 is crowded CONDITION OF the
house of correction. The census of Jan
uary 4, 1885, shows 293 persons serving
sentence in the house OF correction. In
addition to thes5 the women sentenced TO
the state prison and Jail are cared for
here. or these there we're 20. making an
excess of l3 above the crowded coudi-
ton. The boys school is equally
crowded.
something must be done. II part OF
the criminal class can be reformed out
side the walls Of the institution, IL ought
10 be done. l ain quite sure the bill pro-
SidinR for probationary period t6r be-
glnners in crime will do It. The expense
of caring for the criminal class In our
Institutions incurs a heavy Lurden upon
the taxpayers of the stats and ought TO pe
liz htentd ii possible. / quote from the
report OF the state board of charities and
corrections for 1896, page 56: "1aking
the gross expenses, S25O. 500 %, and diyid-
ing the same by the total number OF In
mates, 1860. shows the cost Of maintain
ing one Inmate for year 10 be sl2s. ~.
Dividing this an cunt 10y 90 we find tho
cost per week to be SO. 46. Gross expense,
S250, $50. 96. The amount received for
lator and sale N farm Iroduce, $40. sos.
This lsaves a net cost Of s2&9, az. 80.
Dividing this new sum by the inmates,
195a shows the net cost per year to be
Sll750 which is e.. 26 per week.
According TO the census of the iDstitu-
tions taken January I, 1893. there were
2s3 persons in the house of correction,
235 In Jail, so In tho Rirls' school, 80 in
the boys school, making total Of s77
persons. at net expense OF 1882. 02 per
week. These are the Institutions that
would be relieved of their con gested con-
dition by reforming the beginner outside
the institutions.
Ihe taxpayers are not the only sufferers
financially by the Imprisonment of Grim
inals. In not a few instances the wife,
children and other dependents suffer
much more thsn the prisoner when he
is ssntsu cad TO pay fine or is sent TO the
state institutions 10 work 1t out tie
may be the only wage Garner In the
homs. II he pays a fine or is Imprisoned
the innocent ones suffer more than he.
III ho could be put on probation, retEiu
his position of employment and remain
With bis family. they would have the ben-
eft of mis- earnings There are large
number of persons everJ year that are ar
with the hope that they or their irienus
will pay the flne If the fine Is not paid
they are released. There Ia no room for
them at the jail. In the city Of Proyi-
dence in 1896, S073 persons wers arrested,
$50 were received ot the jail and house
of correction, and the city received from
the police, the Sixth District Court and
from the warden of the Jail, sll, 275 in
fines and fets. 1hers were al43 pers ms
arrested fer drunkenness In the city during
that year, 217 OF these were committed to
Jail, and reckoning OEe-half of all com
mitments TO the house of correction from
Providence were fer drunkenness we
have total Of 55l. his leaves 4192 TO
pay fines or be released The fine for
drunkenness Is 81 and casts, amounting
TO total ot $500. If 1nes were coll eoted
from all of thtss it would amount to $222
0t3.20 But the sum total received by the
city for fines ard foes amounted To but
Sll,275. This shows a large NUN Der Who
were liberated without payment Of fine or
commitment to the Institutions. Ihess
parsons have no case after they are RS
leased. Ihpy 60 wherever they like. and
do whatever they please. If they are ar
rested three tiues within six months for
drunkenness they 6ro then sent to the
house cf correction az com mon drum kards.
The probation system proposeds would
provide an officer OF the court To look after
these cas- ;. lue ITlSDHsI NOulu 10 uO
der the supervision tf the court during
his probatio and this would be an incen-
tive for him to reform. The possible cd
ucation OF beginners In advance methods
OF crime by association with more sxpe-
rienced Grim insls liz jail and house OF cor
rection require their separation us far as
possible. it would DO better II they never
came together.
or sill tho PEI s)ns sentenced TO the
house OF correctlon for 1896 60 were under
20 gears of age, 232 bttwaen 20 and 30
yesrs OF age. pol bstween 30 and 10 years
of ncs. l73 between 40 and 30 years of
aga. IS between 50 and 90 years OF age
ard no of than lad teen committed once
before, 90 twice, 80 three times, ~ four
times. 26 five times, 10 six times. l2 seven
times and 4b2 were never ssntsnced be-
fora
OF oil the persons committed To Pravi-
denoe jail during 1895 lib were urder
20 wear. Of age. 4s0 from 20 to 80 years of
age. 25i from 30 To 40 years of age and 2i2
from 40 to 90 years Of age. Thesj begin
ners in crime came I'm contact ard oUm-
munication with those who had spent
long time IN trins and had been sen
tered many times. These parsons work
side by side In shops. Many of them must
cccupy cells or dormitories with compan- :
Il =. -