SYNOPSIS OF THE EIGHTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INSPECTORS OF THE STATE PENITENTIARY FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA FOR THE YEAR 1910.
Reading edition
It is a pamphlet of eighty pages, bearing on the reverse of the title-page this inscription: “Printed and Bound at the Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, 1911.”
There were in the Penitentiary on the first of January, 1910, as follows, viz.:
White Males, 1,157; White Females, 21; Total White 1,178
Colored Males, 332; Colored Females, 17; Total Colored 349
1,527
Received during the year:
White Males, 310; White Females, 4; Total White 314
Colored Males, 89; Colored Females, 6; Total Colored 95
409
Remaining at the close of the year as follows:
White Males, 1,073; White Females, 18; Total White 1,091
Colored Males, 301; Colored Females, 15; Total Colored 316
1,407
The number at same date last year 1,527
Showing a decrease of 120
The discharges were:
By Commutation Law 471
By Parole 23
By Order of Court 14
By Order of Huntingdon Reformatory 3
By Pardon 6
Died (1 Suicide) 11
Expiration of term (only) 1
529
The number who served out their terms in 1909 was 7.3
The inspectors state that “the influence of commutation and parole which are now in action is having a restraining effect on both the thoughtless and vicious,” but they further say, “the administration of the Parole Law has been too limited in its time and extent for us to do more than make mention of our efforts to intelligently apply it.”
Some other interesting statistics are as follows, viz.:
Number claiming this as their first imprisonment 223
Known to have been previously imprisoned 186
409
Number under 30 years of age 257
Number over 30 years of age 152
409
Number having trades 67
Number without trades 342
409
Number idle at time of arrest 149
Natives of United States 324
Natives of foreign countries 85
409
Conjugal relations:
Single 230
Married 152
Widowed 27
409
Number having children 111
Number of children 296
Crimes against person 124
Crimes against property 251
Crimes against person and property 34
409
Twenty-four pages of the Report are devoted to “Criminal Histories” of sixty-four prisoners received during 1910 who had previously served one or more terms in this penitentiary (a considerable number of them in other penitentiaries or prisons), and who are reported as “illustrations of persistency in courses of crime, indicating the growth of a permanent class, calling for the most serious consideration.”
There is also a record of forty-three prisoners received in 1910 who have relatives in this penitentiary or in other prisons.
The inspectors refer with satisfaction to the new building of concrete construction containing one hundred and twenty cells “now rapidly nearing completion,” and say “the plumbing, steam fitting and electrical work needed is under the care of experts, and furnishing the opportunity of training many of our inmates for future positions of usefulness and trust.”
Report is made that the library now contains 12,057 bound volumes, 852 of them in foreign languages, and that 66,887 books were taken out by the prisoners in the course of the year. A bookbinding and printing room affords employment to several prisoners; 1,419 books were bound and 743,248 pages of matter were printed for the various purposes of the penitentiary.
A school has been maintained for those classed as “illiterates,” and instruction in reading, writing and arithmetic given to 346 prisoners. The inspectors acknowledge the honor done them “by the visits of distinguished representatives of the prison systems and state departments of the nations of Europe, Asia and South America, with others of Canada and our own country, who were in attendance at the recent International Prison Congress in Washington.”
Grateful recognition is also made of “the valuable services of the visitors of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, the American Society for Visiting Catholic Prisoners, the Protestant Episcopal City Mission and the Prisoners’ Guild of the King’s Daughters, contributing to the comfort, encouragement and upbuilding of the prisoners,” and especial mention is made of the services of the Pennsylvania Prison Society in providing clothing for those prisoners in need at the time of their discharge.
The cost of maintenance for the year 1910 is reported as $99,296.70, and the following is presented as “Account With Convicts for 1910”:
Dr. Cr.
Balance to credit of convicts January 1, 1910 $11,644 96
Sent in by relatives and friends 20,798 33
Brought in by convicts on reception 1,013 81
Earned by over work 13,084 88
Allowance 426 00
Profit and loss 1 39
Paid to convicts on discharge $5,939 61
Sundry goods, shoes, etc. 3,564 09
Paid relatives and friends 19,249 22
Paid for tobacco, tooth brushes, soap, etc. 6,554 32
Balance due convicts January 1, 1911 11,662 13
$46,969 37 $46,969 37