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are appointed keepers, that, fhould they be found guilty of those vicious practices, they shall be difmiffed. It is difficult to find keepers of fufficient zeal to admonish the prifoners against fuch conduct, or to punish them when guilty. When, however, their negligence or connivance is difcovered, they are fure to be discharged.

The affiftant keepers, who alfo perform the duties of Turnkeys, are without arms of any kind, fince no punishment is allowed to be inflicted, except folitary confinement. In the selection of affiftant keepers, great care is taken to employ those only who are temperate, vigilant, and faithful, and who will fet no example of that irregularity, indecency, or miscondu&, which is so strictly prohibited in the prison.

In confequence of fome efcapes, the legislature at the last feffions authorized the Governor, or the person administering the government, to raise a guard, to be called "The State- Prifon Guard." It is under the fole direction of the Mayor of the city of New-York, and is to obey all his orders and regulations for guarding the prison, or arresting those who may escape.

The annual expense of this guard will be about feven thousand dollars. Though the fecurity of the prison is of the higheft confequence, fince the efficacy of mild punishments depends on their certainty; yet it is probable, that an increase of the number of keepers, and a more perfect arrangement of them, would have been equally effectual

to that fecurity, and would create not half the additional expense of the prefent guard.

The distance of the prifon from the thickly inhabited parts of the city, is a circumstance which at present renders escapes more eafily to be effected. Confidering the rapid increase of New-York for the last ten years, it is probable that in double that portion of time, the State-Prison will be the middle point of the western part of the city, and be environed with well-built ftreets. In that event, and with the aid of a more perfect experience, it is expected that the prifon may be rendered more fecure, and the present additional expense saved.

But should this expectation never be realized, the advantage which must result to the community from the certainty of punishment in the perfect fecurity of the prison, muft, in the mind of every confiderate person, far outweigh the circumstance of the expense of an increased number of keepers, which, after all, may poffibly be defrayed out of the profits arifing from the labour of the convicts themselves.

SECTION IV.

Of the Prifoners; their general treatment, occupations, dress, diet, and means of reformation.

WHEN a convict is firft received into the prifon, he is put into a room, appropriated folely to that use, where he is immediately stripped of all his clothes, and obliged to wash and clean himself. He is then dreffed in a new shirt, trowsers, jacket, fhoes and ftockings, the uniform of the prison. He is then asked what kind of work he is fitted to perform, or is inclined to undertake; and the next day commences his course of labour. If the prisoner is ignorant of any of the branches of industry established in the prison, which is generally the case, or refuses to select any, the keeper decides, and he is compelled to learn of those who are already skilled in the particular manufacture, to which he is apprenticed. His name, crime, time of conviction, and fentence, with a defcription of his person, are entered in a book; and the Inspectors collect all the information that can be obtained of his former character and course of life, the circumstances attending his trial, and evidence of his guilt, or whatever may enable them to form a judgment of the degree of his depravity. This previous knowledge is neceffary to guide them in their treatment of the prisoner during his confinement; and to prevent a premature or mistaken indulgence or severity towards him.

The well-behaved are allowed once in three months to fee their wives and connections in prefence of a keeper.

The keeper is empowered to punish the convicts for assaults, profane curfing and swearing, indecent behaviour, idlenefs or negligence in work, wilful mifmanagement, or difobedience to lawful orders. This punishment confifts in the confinement of the offender to one of the folitary cells, and feeding him on bread and water only, for such time as any two of the Infpectors may think neceffary and reasonable. The form of these cells has already been defcribed. The convict who is fent to them for misbehaviour or contumacy is allowed neither bed nor feat; and the window is fo high that he can neither fee nor converfe with any perfon. Surrounded with naked walls, he is left in folitude to ruminate at leifure, without any external object to engage his attention or amufe his fenfes. this fituation, with his thoughts continually directed to his present condition and past conduct, he may fooner or later perceive the wickednefs and folly of his former courfe of life, feel the bitter pangs of remorfe, and be difpofed to future amendment.

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At first, the Judges, in some instances, exercised the power given them by the law, of fentencing the convicts to folitary confinement as a punishment for the crimes they had committed; but, afterwards, this was thought to be needlessly fevere; and as the ftate was thereby deprived of the benefit of their la

bour, that punishment, though it may make a part of the fentence which follows conviction, is not now inflicted of course, but is left to be imposed by the Inspectors on fuch only as are otherwise refractory and incorrigible.

EMPLOYMENT.-Two years elapfed after the prison was opened for the reception of convicts, before the outer walls were built, and the work-fhops completed, fo as employment could be found for all. The firft kind of labour introduced was the manufacture of fhoes and boots. Under the inftruction of a prifoner fentenced for life, who was a fkilful fhoemaker, it was matter of furprise to observe with how much rapidity those who were before wholly ignorant of the trade, learned to become excellent workmen. On account of their fedentary occupation, they are allowed occafionally to walk in the court-yard for the benefit of air; and if their health is materially affected by fitting at the work-bench, they are transferred to some more active employment.

Working in iron, as blacksmiths, and cutting nails, afford employment to a confiderable number. Thefe, with the carpenters, weavers, coopers, taylors, &c. perform their feveral labours in the shops, in the rear of the great court, which are erected for that purpose. One of the convicts, of the best character and well qualified, is elected to fuperintend each of those manufactures.

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