supervision, while the expense of their maintenance and care falls upon their counties.

Chairman: I would like to ask if there is any aid granted by the State of 'New York to' private corporations.

Dr. Hoyt: No, sir; the constitution, as before stated, prohibits it.

REPORT FOR MICHIGAN.

In making a report of the Penal, Charitable and Reformatory Institutions of Michigan, and of recent legislation on matters of special interest to this Conference, many things will doubtless be omitted about which the Conference would be glad to hear, and some matters, already reported at your previous sessions, may be repeated. If important matters are omitted, we trust you will secure the desired information by questions, and for any unnecessary repetition, we crave your indulgence.

The general condition of the State Institutions subject to the inspection of our Board, is about the same as last year, and* as a rule, no action has been taken by the Legislature, or by the several Boards of Control, open to adverse criticism. A single exception will be noted in its proper connection.

The new duties imposed on the Board of Corrections and Charities, by the legislation of 1881, have been somewhat onerous, requiring much time and great prudence and discretion on the part of the Board, that the pleasant relations existing between the Boards of Control of the several Institutions, and the Board of Corrections and Charities, might not be disturbed. .

Each Board, having but a single Institution in charge, would naturally magnify the importance of such Institution, and would prepare estimates, and seek legislation and appropriations commensurate with their idea of such importance.

The Board of Corrections and Charities are required to look over the whole field, consider the needs of all the State Institutions already in operation, as well as the pressing calls for suitable provision for classes of unfortunates, hitherto neglected, ascertain the aggregate of appropriations required for all these purposes, and in the light of experience, weigh the chances of securing favorable legislation, and from all these considerations report to the several Boards their opinion as to the propriety and necessity of the estimates submitted, and of the appropriations asked* In cases where the Board has differed with the local Board, as to the estimates made, the amounts asked, or the plans submitted, they have generally been able to make such explanations and to give such reasons for opinions expressed, as have been entirely satistactory.

The work of the Board in examination of Jails and Poor-houses, will be spoken of later.

The Institutions subject to the inspection of the Board, may be divided into three classes, viz., the Penal, the Penal and Eeformatory, and the Charitable.

The first should, and we trust soon will, under the operation of wise and humane laws, be merged into the second class, so that in the execution of all penal laws, the reformation of the criminal will be the leading thought. Under our present laws, however, while we have schools in all our prisons, and earnest chaplains and teachers, and some well directed efforts are made to fit the convicts, by education and character, for liberty and a better life, the leading idea, and hence the practical result, is simple punishment.

PENAL.

The State Prison, at Jackson, the State House of Correction and Beformatory, at Ionia, the Detroit House of Correction, at Detroit, used for female convicts, in the absence of state provision, and for some short time convicts from counties not provided with facilities for giving employment.

The number of convicts in confinement at Jackson is 580. Of these 54 are life convicts and 27 are insane. The number properly regarded as state convicts in the Detroit House of Correction is 237, of whom 61 are females. The number of convicts in confinement in the State House of Correction and Reformatory at Ionia is 444, of whom 3 are insane.

In all our prisons schools are maintained, and encouragement is held out for good conduct by large allowances of good time, according to a system of .marking, the time that may be earned increasing yearly, according to length of sentence.

In our state prisons all convicts are employed under the contract system, for twelve hours per day, on the average during the entire year. At the State Prison at Jackson, where all life convicts, and a majority of those sentenced for long terms, are sent, the prison is self-supporting, and (aside from appropriations for buildings and permanent improvements) brings a small revenue to the state.

The State House of Correction at Ionia, where manyare sentenced for less than a year, has not hitherto pstid expenses.

Owing to a failure to secure employment under contract for all. prisoners, at what was considered suitable compensation, the experiment will be tried of employing those not hired by the contractors, on work for the state, under the supervision of the superintendent. The Detroit House of Correction, as run by the superintendent for the city, is a source of considerable revenue.

All convicts, when released on expiration of sentence or otherwise, are furnished by the state with ten dollars in money and a suit of clothes of like value. As this money must under the law be given to the released convict, and the prison officers have no power to control or direct its use, it is too often spent for intoxicants, before leaving the vicinage, and thus leads to new crimes, new convictions and new sentences.

The Board of Corrections and Charities made earnest efforts to secure the appointment of a state agent to' look after and care for discharged convicts, who might take charge of the money thus paid by the state, furnish transportation to their homes, secure employment, and acting through, and in unison with, the agents of the Board of Charities, aid them in their efforts to regain self-respect, the confidence of community, and to become useful citizens.

Under the present system of prison labor, while the convicts are steadily employed at work, which for the contractors and for the state, is remunerative, they gain but little knowledge that will be of service when released, in securing employment, and earning living wages.

PENAL AND REFORMATORY.

The Reform School at Lansing. To^this institution, boys over ten and under sixteen years of age, are committed for offenses punishable by fine or imprisonment, until eighteen years of age, unless sooner discharged • according to- law. As soon as complaint is made, and before arrest, the agent of the Board of Charities of the proper county is notified. After making a careful examination into the facts and circumstances attending the commission of the alleged offense, and irito the surroundings, home life, and parentage of the offender, he reports to the court or magistrate the facts in the case. If he is satisfied of the child's.guilt, and that he is willful and unmanageable, or that his home life is such as to give little hope of reformation, if released on suspended sentence, the case is allowed to proceed to trial, and if convicted he is sentenced to the Reform School. Before the child is committed, however, the. evidence and proceedings must be examined, and the sentence approved by the Judge of Probate, and his approval indorsed on the commitment.

The Board of Control, on the report and advice of the superintendent, have power to release, at any time, either absolutely or on ticket-of-leave, when in their opinion the boy gives evidence of reformation. He is then returned to his relatives or friends, but only after notice to the agent of the Board of Charities of the proper county, who exercises a supervisory care, and reports from time to time to the Superintendent of the Reform School.

The entire absence of prison restraint and the benign influence resulting, were sufficiently explained at your last session, and it needs only to be said that there has been no change in management, and no lowering in the standard of excellence.

Several new buildings have been erected, on improved plans, furnishing greater facilities for classification into families of not to exceed fifty in each (with a common dining-room, workshops, play grounds, etc.), combining in the most economical way the family and the congregate systems. An opportunity is thus furnished for grading the boys according to character, disposition and attainments, and strong inducements are held out to encourage industry, study, good conduct and reform.

To still further carry out this system, an appropriation was recommended last winter to enable the Board of Control to replace a wing qf the present building, regarded as unsafe, with a double cottage of sufficient size to accommodate two families of fifty each, and to complete the administration building containing dining rooms, etc., but late in the session, one branch of the legislature, through some misapprehension it is believed, inserted in the bill which had passed the other branch of the legislature, a clause, requiring provision to be made for about 110-boys in the administration building, and. struck out the appropriation for the cottage. This would, to that extent, have interfered with the extension of the cottage system, and was regarded by the Board of Control and by the friends of the Institution, as a very unfortunate provision, and as it was too late in the session to remedy the evil, the bill was defeated, and the whole matter will be referred to the next legislature.

The number of boys at th£ Institution is 345. The daily average for 1883 has been 384 3-7.

They still enjoy the largest liberty, compatible with good discipline, and in the school-room, the work-shops, at play, at military drill, and at the churches of the city, unattended, they will compare favorably with the same number of boys, of like age in our public schools, and fully justify the confidence reposed in them by the Superintendent.

Industrial Home for Girls, at Adrian.— This is the name given by the Legislature, at the request of the Board of Control, to the Institution formerly called the Eeform School for Girls. Under present management it fully justifies its new name. It will be remembered that this is the only State Institution in Michigan, managed by a Board of Control, composed principally of ladies, and for this reason as well as for its special purpose, the reclamation and education of wayward and unfortunate girls, placing them in homes and fitting them for honorable and useful lives, it has elicited much public interest and attention.

In the preparation and adoption of plans for the buildings, and in the management and policy of the Institution, the selection of superintendent, cottage managers, matrons and teachers, the object to be accomplished has been kept steadily in view.

Though necessarily more expensive, the purely cottage plan, has been adopted and steadily adhered to throughout, as affording the best promise of permanent reformation.

This gives opportunity for careful classification and grading, furnishes employment to all, with such instruction and education as will £t them to secure situations and support, when released.

Inducements are held out, and encouragement given, for good conduct and improvement, by promotion or degradation, to higher or lower cottages in grade, according to a system of markings adopted.

The institution is in its infancy, but so much has already been accomplished that the Board of Control are encouraged to believe that their most sanguine expectations will be more than realized. The number sent to the Institution has increased so rapidly, while as yet the training and education received, has been too brief to warrant the placing of many in homes, that appropriations were made for an additional double cottage, with accommodations for sixty inmates, hospital rooms, etc.,