IN SENATE, January 14, 1833. ANNUAL REPORT Of the Inspectors of the Auburn State-Prison. AUBURN STATE-PRISON, To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New-York. In obedience to part 4th, chapter 3d, title 2d, article 1st, section 10th of the Revised Statutes, the undersigned, Inspectors of the State-Prison at Auburn, RESPECTFULLY Report: That the state and condition of the prison has been, for the past year, highly prosperous. Nothing has occurred, that has come to the knowledge of the Inspectors, to impair the good order, correct and humane discipline, and perfect subordination, and willing industry, heretofore so noticeable in this prison. The officers have, with hardly an exception, conducted themselves with great fidelity to the important trust committed to their management; and have been very successful in promoting industry among the convicts. The general health of the convicts has been remarkably good, and is believed to be equal at least, to that of other citizens generally. For particular information on this subject we refer to the report of the physician to the prison, which is herewith presented. In respect to the moral state of the convicts, and the means employed to enlighten and reform their moral feelings, we could not give more full and satisfactory information, than is contained in the report made to us by the chaplain of the prison, which is herewith communicated to the Legislature. Table number 4, accompanying this report, shows that there remained in this prison at the commencement of the past year, 646 convicts; and table number 1, shows the number received during the year, to have been 192; and specifies their crimes, the counties where convicted, where they were born, and the terms of their sentences. Of this number 60 were received in May last from the Sing-Sing prison, by the order of his Excellency the Governor. During the past year 115 (Table No. 3,) have been discharged by expiration of sentence, 27 (Table No. 2,) by pardon, and by order of the supreme court, and 12 by death, making in all, 155, and the number remaining on the 1st instant, was 683. Table number 4 also exhibits the different occupations in which the convicts are employed, the number employed in each branch of business, the number at work on contracts, and from whose labor alone the prison is supported, the number at work in the employment of the State, and invalids. Including those brought from Sing-Sing, the number of convicts in this prison, has increased during the last year 27; but excluding those, there has been a decrease of 23. But by a law of the last session of the Legislature, the territory from which convicts are sent to this prison, has been enlarged, so as now to embrace five out of the eight Senate districts; which law went into practical operation about the time that the said convicts from the Sing-Sing prison were received. Since that time the number of convicts in this prison has gradually increased from 666, to the present number, 683. It appears to us, therefore, highly probable, that with the present territory, there will be a gradual increase of convicts at this prison. The earnings of the convicts for the year ending on the 30th day of September last, and which have been charged to contractors, amount to....... ......837,951 26 The earnings of convicts, not employed by contractors, as charged to individuals, and cash received from visitors, and for articles sold, and other incidental sources, amount to.... 3,882 21 The earnings and profits of the prison, as above, for the past year, amount to.. 841,833 47 Carried forward, .. 841,833 47 Brought forward,... $41,833 47 The expenditures during the same period, for the general support of the prison, and which includes all expenses, except those authorized by the act of the 25th April, 1832, for building 220 cells, amounts to..$38,305 31 Leaving a balance in favor of the prison, of.......... $3,528 16 A statement of the monthly earnings of convicts employed by contractors, and the earnings for the year, of such as are not employed by contractors, and the receipts of money from visitors, and for the property sold, &c., showing the particulars from which the profits to the prison have been derived, is hereunto annexed, marked number 6. In addition to the above balance of $3,528.16 in favor of the prison; the institution should be credited with the expense of keeping, feeding, and clothing, about an average number of 100 convicts, who have been employed, since about the 1st of June last, in building the new cells, and whose labor has in no respect been taken into the account of profit to the prison; and also the expense of building a shop, 100 feet by 40, occupied by stone cutters, coopers, &c., and supposed to have cost about $800; and which is included in the expense of the general support of the prison. The cash receipts during the year ending September 30th, 1832, have been as follows: The particular sources from which this sum has been received, will be found specified in the agent's monthly returns, and annual statement herewith transmitted, pursuant to the act of the 25th April, 1832, marked numbers 7 to 19, inclusive. Carried forward, 851,804 58 Which taken from the receipts as above, leaves in money in the hands of the agent,.... $51,804 58 $48,905 51 $2,899 07 The particular items of the expenditures will be found in statements marked numbers 7 to 19, inclusive. The difference between the earnings and profits of the prison as before stated, and the amount of receipts from all the prison sources, during the said year, consists of outstanding credits to the contractors and others, all or the greater part of which is believed to be good, and will be collected as they fall due. By the act entitled "An act in relation to state-prisons," passed April 25, 1832, it was made the duty of the agent of this prison, under the direction of the inspectors, to construct two hundred and twenty additional solitary cells in the prison; and the sum of six thousand dollars was appropriated for that purpose. But the act directed that the same should not be drawn from the treasury, until the moneys which might be in the hands of the agent, should have been expended and accounted for to the Comptroller. Still the act made no direct appropriation of the money in the hands of the agent for the purpose of constructing said cells; but as the Legislature seemed to assume the right of the agent to make use of these moneys for that purpose, we proceeded to adopt a plan for and to erect the additional cells. The south wing of the prison was originally built with the cells against the walls, with the passage through the centre. We determined to build the new cells in a block in the centre, similar to those in the north wing, but it was found that the width between the outer walls of the wing was insufficient for that purpose. We therefore removed the north wall of the south wing, for the distance to be occupied with the new cells; and built a new wall giving an additional width of twelve feet to the building. The agent under our direction, has built |