convicts as have been thus induced to make an effort for improvement have made rapid progress, in all the studies above named, and while they have been laying up a little store of practical education, to be used, we hope, for good purposes in the future, the effect has, to a very great extent, been efficacious in softening down the rough, dogged manner of the criminal into the more obedient, submissive conduct of the convict. While I am upon this branch of my report, I wish to state, that a large majority of those prisoners who have been discharged by virtue of executive interposition were discharged only one day before the expiration of their sentence, for the purpose, as I have been led to understand, of restoring them to the rights of citizenship. And here allow me to suggest, that for an established custom, the exercise of this prerogative, on the part of the executive of the state, is calculated to work a great moral and general good in the condition of the discharged convict, and acts as a great incentive towards a better course of conduct during the term of his confinement. Perhaps two-thirds of the prisoners who have been confined in the prison since its establishment and organization, and of those that are now here, are very young men, who, in an unguarded hour, under the influences of evil associations, and vicious, abandoned company, have committed the first crime in their lives, that might have subjected them to the severer penalties attached to the criminal laws of our state, Since my connection with the prison there has not been a convict released but has voluntarily, and I feel confident, with heartfelt sincerity, expressed a firm determination to lead an honest, upright life, and use to his own credit, and the benefit of society, his restoration to that place among men which he had forfeited by his own act, committed against the public well-being and the laws of the state. I am informed that, with one or to exceptions, this determination has been sacredly adhered to. If these impulses are sincerely felt, I am constrained to believe that the true design of punishment, and the principles of public justice, are by no means advanced by sending the convict out again upon the world as a branded felon, doomed to suffer, without any mitigating consideration, the entailed consequences of his crime forever, without any possible inducement to gain a respecta ble name among his fellow men. The following statement will show the amount of money received by me from all sources during the current year, and the dis bursement of the same. Feb. 4, 1854, Rec'd from State Treasurer on appropriation of 1853 $5,376 76 Amt. of cash received from the various prison shops during the year, 508 11 $18,494 97 Disbursements. I have paid on the old debt of the Prison contracted by ex-commissioner Brown, $12,709 17 Leaving a balance of all moneys received, to be expended on expenses of current year, 5,785 80 do Shop tools for the various prison shops, leather and shoe find ings, sheet iron and tin, 2,084 26 5,785 80 Amount paid on old debt, as above, 12,709 17 For all of which proper vouchers are on file in the commissioner's office, $18,494 97 In recurring to the report of the committee appointed by the legislature at its last session to investigate the affairs of the Prison for the past year (1853,) you will find, that so far as they were .able to ascertain from the evidence which was placed before them, they reported the indebtedness of the prison for that year, up to the 1st of January, 1854, at about $12,100. There have been demands made upon me by many individuals, upon claims against the state on account of the prison, for the year 1853, backed by the most incontrovertible vouchers; and in all cases where such vouchers have been presented, I have paid the demands. There were also some palpable mistakes on the Prison books for that year, which, when corrected, enlarged the demands of per sons, and I assumed to pay the corrected demands. You will perceive, that in following this course, I have paid about $600 more of the old indebtedness than was reported by the legislative committee; and I feel quite confident that all claims against the state on account of the Prison for the year 1853, are paid in full. The following statement will show the indebtedness of the Prison for the current year. (1854.) Am't of indebtedness of the Prison for the current year, 1854 Of which amount there is due on officers' labor On outstanding orders given for labor, provisions, building fence &c. do Prison Physician's accoun: do $17,138 72 5'984 81 3,423 31 do Chaplain's do Sewing done for Prison Merchandize, including hardware, clothing, books, stationery, &c. 279 37 98 17 29 1,135 31 1,444 59 37 10 15 80 438 89 149 50 939 30 02 4 15 58 106 28 3,000 50 19 37 17,138 72 The following statements will show the improvements which have been made within the prison yard by convict labor, and the earnings of the convicts in the various shops, as also the property now on hand, which has been purchased during the year. All of which is presented as offsets to the indebtedness of the current year. New building for carpenter, shoe, tin, tailor and barber shops dow frames for same and glass Addition to blacksmith shop and building 3 chimneys and cut $1,000 50 stone forge Gate keeper's house 200 200 Repairing warden's and matron's apartments, paint shop, guard houses, out houses, cow stable, vaults, drains, &c. Work made to order in carpenter's shop do done for contractor Reinhard in carpenter's shop 100 657 59 333 26 Proudfit, in stone shop and on building 3,236 05 Tinner's stock and tin Wood, lumber and prepared work in carpenter shop Stove and pipe for new prison, carpenter, shoemaker, tir shop and office Carpenter's, tinner's, blacksmith's, shoemakers, tailor's, painter's, barber's tools and farming utensils, purchased within the year Book case for prison library Five cows 50 125 00 410 800 20 150 It will be seen by the above that the cost of supporting the prisoners and prison establishment over and above the earnings: of the Prison the past year is $4,894 55 |