The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-11
ABANDON sing SING
Is 0SBORNE'S ADVICE
FavOrs Building a New Prison
Near New York With
Convict Labor.

ALBANY, May l0.-Thomas Mott Os.
borne, chairman Of the State prison in
vestigat!ng committee appointed by en-
Gov. Sulzer. has filed 4 preliminary re-
port with Gov. Glynn. Many recommen-
dations made are based upon the per-
sonal experiences Of Mr.. Osborne during
the service of a self-imposed sentence at
Auburn prison
The abandonment Of Sing Sing and the
erection of u modern penal institution
within easy distance OF New York city
b primary recommendation OF the re-
port II is suggested that the new prison
be built with convict labor on site
where the prisoners can be made TO work
and develop farm.
Other recommendations are as follows:
That a comprehensive system of cdu
cation be established In the State prisons
under the supervision Of the State Com
missioner of Education: that the prison
libraries be enlarged and more time be
given to convicts TO read and study: that
q system OF physical examination be e.
tablished and more attention be paid TO
the characteristics Of convicts In order
that segregation might be practised and
the hardened criminal be kept away from
the first offender; that institutional parole
boards be established that the State
prison for women at Auburn be abolished
aUd tho State farm at Valatie he made
the central prison for women delinquents:
that the Penal Law be amended 70 as TO
compel Judges to impose lndeterminate
sentences, fixing neither a minimum nor
maximum sentence: that Judges should be
authorized 10 commit female offenders
over is years old 10 the reformatories at
Albion and Bedford and that the present
age limit Of 80 years be removed that
the honor system he extended In the
prisons, that able bodied convicts be en-
ployed in highway construction and re-
that l,tr nf ,i,,al oto
tistics be established to collate and tabu-
late data concerning crime and crmi-
mails: that provision be made for the es-
Establishment OF an employment bureau in
the office OF the prison superintendent
to look after discharged convicts and
furnish them with work; that State
department OF correction be established
and the several departments now
dividing supervision OF State prisons be
consolidated.
The inadeauacy of the present quarters
for condemned mon at Sing Sing prison
ts pointed out In n report to the State
Commission of Prisons by Or. Rudolph
i, Diedllng of Saugerties, "a member OF
the commission. who describes tho death
house as dark. inadequate and without
modern sanitary facilities" The report
says:
''The need FOR new central prison for
the condemned has long been apparent.
Every electrocution In a prison contain
ms II large population excites and dis
turo3 the Inmates and tends 70 demoralize
the work Of the institution.
THE prison for condemned men. there
fore. should be apart from the prison
Dgoper. but near enough To permit the
warden of that prison to assume Its
general supervision The matter should
receive the careful consideration OF the
Legislature"
There were 1850 prisoners in Sing Sing
prison on the day OF Inspection and be-
cause OF the extreme congestion Il has
become necessary TO return to doubling
W prisoners In the narrow cells
Commissioner Diedl.ng says that he be.
Ss'es the institution has outlived Its