New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-13
REPORT PRISON PROGRESS
State Association Urges Improve,
ment of Jail Industries.
PRAISES FOREIGN LOCK-UpS
o. F. Lewis, Secretary. Studied
Them and Submits Conditions
at Tuxedo for Comparison.

/ The annual report ~ tho Prl'ou Asso-
! citation Of NV York. issued yesterday,
mark, gratifying progress and salts
! factory extension Of IN" important work
of the assocatlo. for the year 1911 The
report is an exhaustive treatment - rris
on progress both in this couAtrv ana
abroad The general Serretsrv ~ me 0 p.
location. - =. Lewis, spent last sum.
NOR in visiting European prisons and =.
Dor colonies. and has embodied in the -.
port comprehensive description of those
foreign Institutions Witch does not alto.
gether place sinilar american institutions
in a favorable light in comparison.
The association urges the need of pr'e-
on farms and more comprehensive study
of the prison industries, and depreca'es
tho Jack Of agents and facilities u has. or
is permitted 10 have. At present. for carry
ing on the all important probation work OF
the society. The association maintains -
this respect that the hest interests If the
Court of General Sessions demand =
corps of probation officers. salared b. the
city and chosen from the civil servl's
lists " present there are entirely too
few probation officers in these courts an1
thev arc employed solely By private so
cietios. tho report states.
The association takes decided stand
against the abuses that have developed ~
tho prison Ia hor system If this state and
urges that tho Attornev General ~ The
state give careful attention 10 IN, eases %
ell persons in the prison department
whose actions. as shown in the lnves'ga-
tior Of the special commission, have been
81. in, of fhe raN.l u
of the state The society emphasizes tie
mauv forms Of development OF ro-opers.
ton with public and private bodies dur
ing the year and renders special gratitude
~ the late Smith Ely whose gift 70 the
endowment fund Of 1900 enabled the
association 70 raise an equivalent amount
Ten Thousand on Parole IN 1911.
Tn. report show M statistical form
that seven out Of every ten men paroisd
from reformatories and prisons to the a.
sociatiou finish successfully their term ~
parole Tho prisoners on parole from tho
state prisons have been remarkably su"-
cessful in making good or the IL
mon coming out often the most helpless
and hopeless Of the released prisoners
only eleven have had to be returned -
thousand persons, all told We're placed on
probation I'm 1911
The parole bureau increased the num-
her Of its visits to local and state iu>'i-
buttons and its investigation n "a 500
more than 30 Per cent during the wear.
The report states the belief Of the ASSOC
citation that the parole period should "a
longer than six months for reforma tor"
released prisoners. that employers Should
not be 50 willing To pledge employment -
a prisouer-which is necessary 10 secure
his release on parole-only 20 discharE"
him as soon as his release has been o.
tanned. and that the parole work Of III"
state prisons and the reformatoriss should
be placed upon far more comprehensive
basis.
Secretary Lewis speaks encouraeinSly
of the increase Of farm colonies ana pr'@-
on farms Ia 1871 tho state industrial
Farm colony was established. the Board
of Inebriety for New York city Was h"-
pointed by the Mayor. aud early IN this
year the city made an appropriation Of
$3.50. 900 for country located reforma-
tory for misd"meanants and the state 49,
tablished a state reformatory FOR misd'-
meanants. surely a great advance IN
the treatment of lesser offenders and the
young" SAYS Mr.. Lewis.
No Politics in Foreirn Jails.
Perhaps the most important series ~
facts gathered 10y Secretary Lewis abroad
was his analysis of European labor Colo
MES. He states his conclusions as fol-
lows:
In Belgium 'Iolland, EuClaud aNd SCOT
land the correctional Institutions ~ who.
Migrants and mendicants are confined ar
under the same governing body * tUt
which governs the prisons. The state con
troll and operation of institutions FOR me
treatment Of vaSraUtS and trampS 's
principle justified by European experience
In all tho European countries visited
found most admirable absence OF poitira,
influence I'm the conduct of tleS" irsi''l-
lions. The Migrants and mendicantS fouI'
in those institutions colonies AM roinpiI-
sorry warehouses; are notlceablN dilf'r''
from the typical American va=raut
tramp. Tho great majority ~ the tramp
po>Sess a trade. hUt the heesar colonies
and the workhouSes are in no sense -
furmatoYy institutions.
The opinion is general that tho "onnh'-
sorry labor colony ar Vorkhous" - Z E~e''
value as a deterrent ana AS a custodal ''-
stitutior Not only do Migrants I've u'd"f
Tho surroundings Of colonies and prison
fam. 'ut i'm nearly all Instance they AM
tlnir predecessors have created their own