in view its educative value. Let me say frankly; and without affectation, that the exhibit far exceeds my highest expectations. The exhibit cannot fail to awaken a keen interest in prison matters, and to stimulate all that is best in one to improve existing conditions.

"The arrangement is excellent, for as soon as you start in you become a kenly interested student, anxious to dig down and see how things really are.

"While the exhibit must have cost you much labor and money it cannot fail to be of invaluable assistance as an educative influence in prison reform."

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FEEBLEMINDEDNESS AND DELINQUENCY,

HE relation between feeblemindedness and delinquency has been repeatedly emphasized in the Prison Association's reports. There is most grievous need of proper segregation, in a separate institution, of the most serious cases of the delinquent feebleminded, who are now distributed throughout the many correctional institutions in this State.

The New York Committee on Feeblemindedness, established late in 1916, estimates that there are approximately 33,000 feebleminded persons persons one in every 300 of the population in the State of New York. Of these 33,000 there are, in institutions not intended for them, some 4,500, of which number it is estimated that 1,500 are in State prisons and jails, 500 in reformatories for women and girls, and 1,000 in boys' reformatories.

While all of the 4,500 inmates are menaces to society, and prone to criminality, the feebleminded women of child-bearing age are of special menace, because the feebleminded woman is not only far less responsible morally than the normal woman, but she is especially prone to sexual practices. The estimate of the Committee on Feeblemindedness is that there are of such women. approximately 700 in prisons, jails and reformatories.

The State is losing ground in caring for its feebleminded. There are estimated to be about 23,000 feebleminded not in institutions. The State would be the gainer by providing proper custodial care elsewhere for the 4,500 feebleminded now cared for in prisons, reformatories and almshouses, because the per capita weekly expense of caring for the feebleminded upon the custodial asylum plan is less than the weekly per capita in boys' reformatories, girls' reformatories, and similar institutions for

women.

It has been often estimated that at least a quarter of the inmates of correctional institutions are more or less mentally defective. Elsewhere in this report (Page 119) we estimate that the population of the prisons requiring custodial care because of feeblemindedness is about 10 per cent.

Elsewhere. (Page 204) we have stated, in a review of proposed legislation for 1917, that the site of the State Farm for Women Misdemeanants at Valatie suggests itself as a site also for a

colony for defective delinquents. The New York Committee on Feeblemindedness advocates the erection, at the State Custodial Asylum for Feebleminded Women at Newark, of at least one cottage for the care of disorderly and delinquent cases, apart from the other inmates, and planned for this special purpose.

There is great need in the State for the erection of a special institution for the male defective delinquent. The suggestion of designating Napanoch for such purpose has not gotten beyond the stage of general discussion.

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THE PRISON ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK.

HE Prison Association of New York is a charitable society, absolutely dependent upon voluntary contributions. It was founded in 1844, and received a charter from the State in 1846. It has had an unbroken record since 1844, and at present conducts a larger number of activities, and we hope more efficiently, than ever before. The officers of the society are president, vice-president, recording secretary, general secretary, treasurer and an executive committee, which constitutes the governing board of the Association. The general secretary is the salaried executive of the Association. The objects of the Association are, according to the charter:

I. The amelioration of the condition of prisoners, whether detained for trial, or finally convicted, or as witnesses.

2. The improvement of prison discipline and the government of prisons, whether for cities, counties or states.

3. The support and encouragement of reformed convicts after their discharge, by affording them the means of obtaining an honest livelihood, and sustaining them in their efforts at reform.

In recent years the objects of the Association have been stated. briefly as follows:

1. The protection of society against crime.

2. The reformation of the criminal.

3. Protection for those unjustly accused.

4. Probation for first offenders.

5. Improvement in prisons and prison discipline.

6. Employment, and, when necessary, food, tools, shelter and

other provision for discharged prisoners.

7. Necessary aid for prisoners' families.

8. Supervision for those on probation and parole.

9. Needed legislation.

The

The legal power of the Association is considerable. executive committee, by such committees as shall from time to time be appointed, has the power and the duty to inspect and examine all the prisons in the State, and annually report to the

Legislature their state and condition, and all such other things in regard to them as may enable the Legislature to perfect their government and discipline. The authority for such inspection is found in Paragraph 6 of Article 11 of the constitution of the Association. Orders for the purpose of inspection and investigation are issued by one of the judges of the Supreme Court, or by other competent authority.

The record of the Prison Association has been one of honor and of value to the State. The Association was founded at a time when the rights of the prisoner and the duties of the State were very insufficiently guarded or understood. The society grew out of a wave of protest against abuses of prisoners and the low state of prison administration in this State. The activity of the society has been characterized not so much by a conspicuous declaration of activities as by persistent and quiet cooperation when possible with prison authorities and by consistent propaganda for the betterment of prisoners and the treatment of crime.

Conspicuous among the many results in which the Association shared were the campaign for the establishment of Elmira Reformatory; the study of the Jukes family by Mr. Dugdale, one of the managers of the Association; the development of probation in New York State; the development through many years of the parole system in New York City for the State reformatories and State Prisons; the establishment of the National Prison Association (now the American Prison Association) through the activity of Dr. E. C. Wines, corresponding secretary of the Association in 1870; the organization of the International Prison Congress by Dr. Wines after he had laid down his office as corresponding secretary of the Prison Association; the election of Dr. Barrows, corresponding secretary of the Association from 1900 to 1909, as president of the Eighth International Prison Congress; the campaign against the fee system in the case of county sheriffs; the increase of the endowment fund of the Association since 1910 from $9,000 to nearly $100,000, and the increase in recent years. not only of the membership of the Association, but of the income of the Association and the accompanying development of the fields of activity of the Association. In recent years the Association has made a considerable part of its activity the cooperation in development of new institutions, such as a new Farm Industrial Prison to take the place of Sing Sing, the State Industrial Farm Colony, the State Reformatory for Misdemeanants, the farm