The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-15
IDLE CONNECTS FILL
NEW YORK PRISONS
state commission Wants More
Inmates Put at Work
on Roads.
Ill KEPT JAILS CROWDED

A,u,,y. March Ten dollars or
,,i.f, Gt,s In the p~enitentiary' Is a To-
ufl.Ir limo iu the newspapers n at
,.ar's nt'lo or no attention. says the
STATE Commission OF Prisons In Its re-
nor, {. the Legislature on conditions In
he i've penitentiaries OF the State, "yet
ne aggregate of sentences melted out
"a offenders sent to pe%nitentiaries dur
NC the last fiscal ycar amounted to
G06l years and II months. In addition
ancs were imposed totalling S54.70i
"Failure to pay usually results in the
prisoner having to serve an additional
d,y for each dollar of the fine. hence
mis- would mean about $50 year. moro
10 be served. Had the offenders been
earning s. a day in free life their ag-
rrerate income would have amounted to
N536.4s?."
The Albany. Erie. Monroe and On
ondaga county p~enitentiaries are county
institutions the New York Penitentiary
on Blackwell's Island Is conducted by
New York city. Reports from these In
situations show that during the last year
the number OF commitments was 1s,467,
IN increase over the preceding year OF
SOB.
with tho exception Of the Monroe
county p~enitentiary these institutions
are oyercrowded. The daily average
prison population for the year was g.
$50. as compared with 2.639 the preced-
ing year.
although controlled by local Of
Acials.' says the report. "thc peniten-
t'aries are really doing a state work.
Each institution contracts with nearby
counties TO care for their prisoners at
a stipulated sum per week.
cost OF Keeping Prisoners.
"Alabny charges 50 Erie, s2.so; Mon
zoe, S2?b: New York. from $50 10
t?25. ana ~onondaga. s2.10. United
states prisoners are taken at prices
ianginc from s1.96 to $40. Albany
charges a higher rate than any other
county, though its facilities are the
worst.
"Frie county has taken a commendable
step in advance by establishing "A peni-
'entiary farm. A dormitory and other
huldings are being erected by inmates
and 1t - the intention to employ the
better element OF tho population In out
door work. The institution now main
'ains a few small Industries. but not
enough to keep all hands busy. Iegis-
lstVe enactment is 20 he sought to per-
NIT The employment of men on the high
~ays OF the county. a system in vogue
IN ouordaCa.
Monroe has an institution farm. but
ea1f &c D.. Hf- 40. .... ~ -
oncrS. particularly in winter.
"Thc New York pcniteniiarv keeps
me majority Of its prisoners AT work
A. various industries. the products OF
which are sold to New York city.
ALBANY county has made little cffort
u keep Is prisoners employed except
a. Institutional work. 4 small farm
a~0rds opportunity for outdoor work
during the unmer months for a few.
hut even IN summer many OF the in
mates are maintained I'm idleness. sitting
silently At desks in shop rooms during
'Ae day except at certain periods when
hey are permitted TO exercise in the
Fdfd
"Peniteufiary prisoners include many
~ who's maintenance tn state pays.
80 the state has no direct control In
No administration Of these institutions.
The commission has recommended In
previous reports that the state take over
ne ~peni'entiaries and conduct them a.
State warehouses. This recommended
ION is renewed.
Where the sentence docs not exceed
'He year "A person convicted Of felony
iaN he sentenced to a penitentiary AZ
STATE expense. Minors convicted OF "A
ebony NAV also bc sentenced to these
Sclii'ons without restriction rs TO
ne length u sentence At the expense
- the state