The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-04-16
Prisons Everywhere Are OverUowded
More Criminals and Paupes Are Now Confined State and County
Institutions Than Ever Beforehand Times and
Undesirable Aliens Are Chiefly Blamed

New York City.-Never before In
the history OF the State OF New York
have there been so many criminals
behind prison bars as there are at
present. The State prisons are over
crowded, the penitentiaries filled to
overlooking and the workhouses so
congested that the inmates are In
each others way.
Prison officials and criminologists
assign two reasons for the crowded
condition OF the penal institutions
the hard times prevalent for the last
two years and the influx OF undesira-
BILE aliens 10 the big cities OF the
State. Unable TO obtain work these
men drift 10 crime and eventually
land In prison.
Sing Sing Overcrowded.
There are more than 1000 convicts
In Sing Sing Prison, originally built
10 house but 1900; the prisoners are
doubled up in cells. lodged in out
houses and the chapels and some are
said TO sleep in the main Office OF the
prison. In order 20 accommodate
the horde OF convicted men recently
sent from this city-and they have
,
score or more-Warden Frost has
been compelled TO place cots In the
beautifully decorated Protestant and
Catholic chapels.
A batch OF sixty-nve was trans
ferred TO Clinton Prison against the
protest OF the officials OF that institu-
tion, who say they have no room 70
spare. Numbers OF Sing Sing con
victs-short term men--in order 20
make room for the new arrivals, are
sent daily 10 the site OF the new
prison now being constructed on the
west bank Of the Hudson, near Iona
Island. and kept there In shacks un-
der the watch OF KEEPERS. These men
are employed in the building Of the
new structure.
The same condition Is reported by
the warden OF the penitentiary on
Blackwell's Island. The census there
recently showed 1119 men and eigh-
ty-three women I'm cells. This Is far
above the average census, and the
rate at which the courts are sending
prisoners there has alarmed the peni-
! tentiary officials. They are in a
Quandary where 10 confine the prison
ers. AS in Sing Sing, the problem OF
! employing all the convicts Is puzzling
/ the officials Of the penitentiary, and
steps are being taken 10 put a number
| OF them at work erecting new build
| ings on the various islands owned by
the city and used for city purposes.
Reports from the Elmira Reforma-
/ tory state that that institution rs
! overcrowded, and transfers are being
| made daily 20 the upstate penal In
stitutions in order TO relieve the over
| crowding
Most OF the Elmirs recruits come
! from this city, and with the six
! Courts OF General Sessions working
! lally the number oi youths committed
/ 90 the reformatOry weekly from this
/ county averages twenty-five. An av-
/ erage Of ten week are committed
/ there from the Brooklyn criminal
| courts. a batch of seventeen was
| transferred from the Tombs recently
/ 10 Elmira, making total of 10 sem
fenced from this county during the
month OF March.
| WOrkhouses Are CongeStrd.
II is IN the workhOusos on Black
wells. Hart's and Randail's IslsSds
that the increase OF poverty is ap-
| parent. Hundreds Of prlsOners-men
| and women-are housed In those In
/ stitutions. all committed from the po-
] lice courts of this city and Brooklyn
/ many OF their own vOlitiOn. The Gen.