The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-02
DRY YEAR STATISTICS
SHOW LARGE DECREASE
IN GRIMES AND FINES
Number OF Prisoners Received In State
Penifenttary Only Half of Last
Years Quota
STATE SAVES $4,000 IN
CRIMINAL EXPENSES ALONE
Auuftors O1icc Reports Indicate
Much Less Money Expended m
Crime Court Costs First DRY Year.
Rfchnond's Great Reduction.

Statistics at the state penitentiary
show a wonderful decrease in the
number of prisoners now held In that
institution as compared with the re-
cords last year. On the first day of
November last year 2.304 men and
women were either confined in the
perttentiary or working or the roads.
Yesterday the officials reported a total
1892. showing n decrease of 4I2.
More have been discharged and a
less number received In this fiscal year
than has been the case in any year
FOR the Last decade. but this fact Is
accounted for by the exodus of the
criminal population with the prohi-
bition of the sale of intoxIcants.
For the f,sca! year of Ist5-l6, s7s
prisoners were received at the state
prison. and In the fiscal year of 1916
II. Asa were sent up. practically haiv-
Ing the percentage as well as cutting
the cost.of the upkeep OF the whole.
A larger number have been dis
charged than in several years prev
ious-lei5 and 1915. ss7 and In 1915
and 1917, 3s2 showing TO a rerta in
extent that the crimes are not as
vicious. and consequently the terms OF
imprisonment are shorter.
Fines Are Short Too.
The amount OF fines collected in
police court for the first year OF pro-
1ibition falls short OF the previous
twelve months hv ss.1e302. The
total sum thus collected from Novem-
her !. 1918. TO November /. 1916,
wrs sss.4os14. while that For the
year ending November /. 1917, is
s25afol2
This difference, il is generally con-
SEfitA ny 81 f1f xnrtnfrc~s
into the marke. baskets OF men who
h@d been In the habit OF contributing
'eerious sums during the year for their
jays
State Saves As Wen.
--aaiie the penitentiary has reflect
O. improved conditions throughout
tne state aad many dollars have been
saved by those who once paid fines
IN the state as wei, -s4sa ~ ~e<i- eonse-
thing more than one thousand dollars
a week in the sole item OF criminal
expenses since Virginia drove John
Barie,eorn across he border. and this
too In the face of the fact that when
the dry law became effective Novem-
Der /, 1915. there were many who ha
a sufficient stock OF wet goods on hand
to enable them to create sufficient
trouble TO get themselves into court
after that time.
The actual figures Indicated by re
ports tn the auditors Office show tina.
this state paid out the sum of sS4s.-
ss7,Ts for criminal expenses during
the fiscal year ending September 80
1917. while the previous year the
amount was s4IT.0Tsos, the saving
being the neat sum OF ssa,sss.ss.
One Wet Month Included.
IT will be noted that. owing to the
gSra4 yAay closing her 40 the
wet month O. October. 1916. is in.
cluded. Otherwise It may well be be-
lievcd that the reduction would he
evan more marked,
In so far as the punishment OF
crime ts concerned. other than that
having 20 DO with the violation o:
the liquor laws themselves. Il Is be-
lieved that there will he further
large reduction in criminal expenses
~ the ttIuc goes OH and the use o1
liquor Is more and more reduced
However officers of the law anticipate
that the state must spend more money
than It now is expanding In the work
OF detecting vioiators of the prohtbi
ton law.
That there Is q Systematic and care.
fully devised plan In operation IN the
larger cities to smuggle in and dis.
tribute liquor to regular customers al
prosperous prices 10 generally believed
RicllmoDd's Great Reduction.
Following comparative figures arc
especially interesting 10 Richmond In.
dicating that the criminal expenses o.
this city have decreased $1,000 since
prohibition became effective.
Comparative criminal costs for each
county and city in the commonwealth
arc as follows: