The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-02
RATIO PRISONERS
To POPULATION
Prison Statistics OF Census
Bureau Just Released and
What They Show
NEARLY HALF MILLION
COMMITMENTS IN 1910

The Prison Population One Year Ago
VI the United States Was 1859;
During the Year 4z9,z63 Persons
Were Committed tO Prisons and
Penal Observation-Disclosures the Ratio
According to Population as a Whole
and by State is-Lattcr Show
Wide Diycrgence-IntercstinS Fig
nrcs, Smallest AZ Per 100000;
Largest $50 Per 100, 900.
Washington, d c., Dee. 30.-A
preliminary statement OF prison sta
tistics for the year 1870 was issued to-
day by Director Durand, Of the Bu-
rear of the Census, Department OF
and Labor. 1t was prepar-
ed under the supervision of Or. Joseph
A. Hill, chief StatiStician Of the divlS-
ion of revision and results, who has
charge Of the work. The figures are
subject to revision later, as a few m
StltutlOnS are delinquent in fuln.o.iiio
complete returns. but this is not likely
TO effect materially either the totals or
ratios herein.
The prison population Of the United
EOtttttS vi JtLithh y ioAVy N@o &Ao'
SIG: and the numher Of commitments
TO prisons or other penal institutions,
during the year 1910, was AS, I63.
These figures include every class nf
offenSe, from Nagrancy to murder III
the first degree. They also include
eases in which the offender Was com
mitted to Jail or prison for the non
payment of a fine. For this anu otne.
reasons the totals and ratios which
are shown for the different States
are not to be regarded aS measuring
the criminal tendencies OF their in
habitants.
Proportion OF Prisoners to Population
The ratio OF prisoners to population
on January /, 1910, was 125 to 100,
D00 and the ratio of commitments K
population during the year 1910 wa
522 to 100, 600. Thus it appears that
at the beginning of the year 1910, on
person out of every $40 IN the Unttv,
States greeted the New YearIin prison
or Jail, and that, during the year 1910
for every 800 persons in the tota
population. there was one commit
ment to prison or jail fer a oDset y
shorter period, ranging from n da
to I. life sentence. 1t should be re
~membered, however, that the numbe
Of commitments does not rcprescr
that many different persons, hecaus
the ItfSollS ttIrlillltbpu lltluNc maj
"repeaterS' who went 10 jail NOR
than once during the year 1910.
The Statistics by States.
The table by States brings out II
Tact that the number of prisoners
proportion to population was smalle
in South Dakota, As per 100. 900 pc,
u%lation, and largest in Nevada, 3;
per 100, 000 population, and that II
number OF commitments in DroportiC
to population was smallest in Nor
Carolina, 1873 per 1905 0 populatio
and largest in Arizona, 2,992 per lOC
600 population. 1t by no means fc
lows, however, that the population
either Arizona and Nevada is wick.
or criminal beyond that Of all 9th
States. or that the population Of eth
South Dakota and North Carolina
Dre-eminently good, or any more la
abiding than that IN States where t
rates. are higher.
The nunbe OF commitments TO i
or prison IS determined in no SIN:
neErec bV the statutes and the IRA
lice OF the courts relative to the ~,
iShrnent OF minor Offenses, Offens
which in some States would be NJ,
ished by q few days in Jail, NAV.
Table for Southern States