IN SENATE,

January 12, 1832.

REPORT

Of the Inspectors of the Mount-Pleasant State-Pri

son.

To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New-York. The Inspectors of the Mount-Pleasant State-Prison

RESPECTFULLY REPORT

That, from the first day of November, 1830, to the 30th day of September, 1831, including a period of eleven months, the agent of this prison, Robert Wiltse, Esquire, received for its use $75,701 17 Of which there has been expended, during the same period, and for the use and benefit of the prison, the suin of,......

Leaving thus, a balance in the hands of the agent, on

72,334 71

$3,366 46

the 30th day of September, 1831, of..... All of which is more fully detailed in schedule C, accompanying this report.

By this schedule it will also be seen, that the sales from the labor of the convicts, during the same period, amount to $40,011.93; from which, after deducting $1,473, the cost of the purchased material, (iron, &c.) included in these sales, there will remain $38,538.93, the actual amount produced.

In the construction of the 200 additional cells, authorised by the act of April 20th, 1830, it was deemed advisable to erect them, by raising another story upon the prison. This location, while it appeared to conform more suitably to the original plan of the prison, increased the expense of the cells, by requiring additional time and [S. No. 14.]

1

labor, to carry up the heavy materials made use of, and by rendering it necessary to unroof and roof the whole building. These cells, the crection of which had been retarded for the want of sufficient funds, are now completed; and, on reference to the schedule above mentioned, it will be seen that for the materials purchased for this object, during the past year, $6,235.12 have been expended, whilst the sum appropriated for the same purpose, and drawn from the treasury, was $4,800 only, being an excess of expenditure over such appropriation of $1,435.12, which has been supplied from other funds of the prison. The prison is now five stories high and contains 1000 cells.

Besides the building of these cells, there have been erected, during the past year, one wing of a substantial and permanent stone shop, 156 feet long by 36 wide, in the front yard; a fire-proof powder magazine in the rear of the prison; and last winter, at the time of the alarm of small-pox, a building of wood for a hospital, at a sufficient distance from the prison, 60 feet long by 20 feet wide, to be in readiness against the introduction or appearance of that or any other contagious and alarming disease.

The kitchen, wash-room and store-room, originally intended for the accommodation of 800 men, have been necessarily enlarged, to meet the wants occasioned by an increased number of convicts.

The quarries at this prison have been extended; and a new one has been opened at the south part of the farm, at some distance from the prison,and a road worked to it; but the value of this, as well as of the other quarries, is diminished, by the immense amount of labor necessary to remove the superincumbent earth and rubbish, and by the excess of inferior stone over the marble of a good quality. These causes, it is feared will continue, as heretofore, to lessen the productiveness which might at first have been expected from the quarries of this prison.

The fulfilment of some of the old contracts, requiring stone of a very large size, has been delayed for the want of such stone; but it is believed that these contracts may be completed early in the ensuing season.

The paper annexed, marked D, is an inventory of the property of the Mount-Pleasant State-Prison, on the 30th day of September, 1831.

The number of convicts in this prison on the 31st day of October,

1830, was,....

770

From that time to the 30th day of September, 1831, (eleven months,) there have been received, (table

E, annexed,)

338

1,108

And by pardon, (table H,).....

There have been discharged, during the same period,

by expiration of sentence, (vide table F,)....... By death, (table G,)...

....

And in attempting to escape there has been drowned,

65

28

34

(table G,)....

1

128

980

Leaving in prison, September 30th, 1831,..

Convicts, making an increase of 210 during the eleven months previous.

Since the 30th day of September last, (to which time the previ ous calculations are made, with a view to correspond with the closing of the accounts, as required by law,) the number of convicts at this prison has exceeded 1,000, but on the 17th day of November, 60 were removed to the Auburn prison, by order of the Governor. The number here, at the date of this report, is upwards of 960; and, at the ratio of increase for the last year or two, if this prison shall continue to receive convicts from the same portion of the State as is at present assigned to it, it may fairly be estimated that before the close of the current year, (ending on the 30th day of September next,) the number will not fall short of 1,200. In such case, provision should immediately be made for enlarging our prison, If, however, it shall be found convenient, for the present, to add to the Auburn prison, and set off to it a larger district, the banks of earth and rocks adjoining this prison will gradually be removed by the working of the quarries, and thus in enlarging it at a future day no inconsiderable expense will be saved. But whether this or the Auburn prison, or both, shall be enlarged is submitted to the wisdom of the Legislature, with the single observation, that our system of discipline absolutely requires that each convict should be locked up in a cell separate from the rest. Besides entirely interfering with the peculiar discipline of the prison, there are other and very serious objections against confining in so small a space, two criminals, perhaps of the most degraded and profligate character.

Some time is required to instruct the convicts in the various kinds of labor in use at this prison. Their rapid increase is, therefore, unfavorable to immediate usefulness, whilst the value of their services is limited by the shorter periods of punishment, to which many of them are now sentenced.

It may be well perhaps to remark, that this rapid increase of convicts, in our State prisons, is mainly attributable to two principal causes; the additional number of crimes, for which this punishment is now inflicted, and the very salutary caution, with which the pardoning power has latterly been exercised.

In the opinion of the Inspectors, the exercise of this power should be reserved solely for extraordinary cases. And, relation to the punishment of the State prison, they will express the further opinion; that, on the first conviction of a criminal, his term of sentence should be short; on a second conviction, it should be perhaps rigorous; but, on a third conviction, as the prospect of reformation must then be hopeless, the public good would be best subserved by com finement for life.

The annexed paper, marked I, exhibits the actual employment of the prisoners on the 30th day of September, 1831; which, though frequently varying with the constantly varying number in confinement, may be considered a fair average of the occupation of the convicts for the year preceding. By this it will be seen that the number on that day occupied in the preparation and manufacture of stone and other goods for sale, was 590; and 390 were employed in the support and for the purposes of the prison.

The report of the physician, (document A,) will exhibit the state of the hospital, and the health of the institution during the past year.

The report of the chaplain, (document B,) will shew the moral condition of the prison. In addition to his religious duties, he has introduced a Sunday school into the prison, and it may be hoped that the means of instruction, thus afforded to the unhappy inmates, may not be without important and lasting benefit to them.

By the schedule annexed, marked K, which is an estimate of the probable expenditures of this prison for the current year, it will be seen that the whole expense is estimated at $77,634.88, of which sum it is believed that $48,000 may be realized from the labor of the convicts, thus leaving $29,634.88 to be supplied by an appro