MICHIGAN. 



MINNESOTA. 



447 



the President, 2; by death, 10; by escape, 11 ; 

 total, 228; increase of convicts during the 

 year, 22. The foil-owing will show the crimes 

 for which the new convicts were sentenced : 

 adultery, 2; administering poison, 1; aiding 

 escapes, 1 ; assault with intent to murder, 7 ; 

 assault with intent to rape, 4; other felonious 

 assaults, 4 ; attempt at larceny, 5 ; bigamy, 7 ; 

 burglary, 25 ; burglary and larceny, 7 ; break- 

 ing jail, 1; buggery, 1; embezzlement, 2; false 

 pretences, 12; forgery, 3 ; fornication, 1 ; horse- 

 stealing, 1; larceny, 123; larceny and jail- 

 breaking, 2 ; making counterfeit coin, 1 ; 

 mingling poison with drink, 1 ; manslaughter, 

 4 ; murder in first degree, \ ; murder in second 

 degree, 4 ; passing counterfeit money, 9 ; per- 

 jury, 1 ; poisoning animals, 1 ; polygamy, 1 ; 

 presenting forged vouchers, 1 ; rape, 3 ; receiv- 

 ing stolen property, 2 ; resisting officer, 1 ; 

 robbery, 4; setting fire to jail, 1 ; uttering forged 

 instrument, 3: total, 250. 



The following will show the terms of sen- 

 tence of prisoners received : Under one year, 

 1 ; one year, 49 ; over one and not exceeding 

 two years, 71 ; over two and not exceeding 

 three years, 53 ; over three and not exceeding 

 four years, 17 ; over four and not exceeding 

 five years, 21 ; six years, 1 ; seven years, 5 ; 

 ten years, 10 ; twelve years, 2 ; fourteen years, 

 1 ; fifteen years, 3 ; twenty-five years, 1 ; for 

 life with hard labor, 3 ; for life, with solitary 

 confinement, 2 ; average term of sentence, ex- 

 cluding life sentences, 3 T V years; average age 

 of convicts, 26 T 6 years. 



The following shows the nativity of convicts 

 received : born in Africa, 1 ; Germany, 8 ; Can- 

 ada, 31 ; England 7 ; France, 1 ; Isle of Man, 

 1 ; Ireland, 22 ; Malta, 1 ; Poland, 1 ; Scotland, 

 3 ; Spain, 1 ; Sweden, 1 ; West Indies, 1 ; 

 Michigan, 36; other States of American 

 Union, 135. 



The number of persons who have hitherto 

 been sentenced to solitary confinement in 

 State prison for life, beginning with the year 

 1848, is 58. Of these two died in one year, 

 one in two years, one in three years, one in 

 four years, one in five years, one in seven years, 

 three in ten years, one in thirteen years, and 

 one in fifteen years, two escaped, six had new 

 trials granted them, four were pardoned, and 

 the sentence of one was commuted. Two 

 are now reported insane. The number re- 

 maining in solitary confinement at the end of 

 the year is thirty-two. 



The number of female prisoners is nine, of 

 whom five are imprisoned for life. Females 

 sentenced for a term of years are now sent to 

 the Detroit House of Correction. 



The inspectors of the State Prison report 

 that during the year they have made a careful 

 examination of such prisons in Massachusetts, 

 Connecticut, New York, Illinois, and Canada, 

 and they add : "In the discipline of the prison, 

 we have aimed at the improvement and reform 

 of the prisoners. We have not forgotten that 

 they were human beings, and have endeavored 



in every way to have them treated as such. 

 While firmly insisting upon strict subordina- 

 tion to the rules and regulations prescribed for 

 their conduct, we have insisted that punish- 

 ment shall not be inflicted while it is apparent 

 that the offender can be influenced by other 

 means. Observation leads us to believe that 

 kindness and love, with appeals to reason and 

 manhood, are far more potent to secure obe- 

 dience than harshness and severity ; and with 

 this view we have been careful to see that the 

 convicts are properly clothed and supplied 

 with a sufficient quantity of food ; by religious 

 teaching and interesting books ; by manifesting 

 an interest in them, and assuring them that it is 

 still within their power to reform and become 

 useful citizens, and that in such efforts they 

 have had the hearty cooperation of the agent 

 and his subordinates. We have tried to in- 

 spire them with new determination to become 

 better men. The good effect, we believe, is 

 already perceptible in the diminished number 

 of infractions of rules and punishments ; in the 

 good feeling toward the officers, and in the 

 general order and harmony which prevail in 

 the prison. We think we can say, within the 

 limits of strict truth, that we have found no 

 body of convicts, in any prison which we have 

 visited, better fed, better clothed, under better 

 discipline, or, all things considered, looking so 

 hearty and vigorous as those in the Michigan 

 State Prison." 



The expense of supporting the State Reform 

 School for the year was $41,000. Received 

 during the year, 121 ; discharged, 83 ; increase 

 for the year, 38 ; present number of inmates, 

 whites, 262 ; colored, 23 : total, 285. Offences 

 of those received during the year, larceny, 95 ; 

 burglary, 8 ; assault, 8 ; malicious trespass, 3 ; 

 vagrancy, 3 ; rape, 1 ; arson, 1 ; returned, 2 ; 

 number born of American parents, 60; English, 

 5 ; Irish, 28 ; German, 4 ; colored, 6 ; Canadian, 

 6 ; Scotch, 1 ; unknown, 11. Number ten years 

 old, 12 ; eleven, 10 ; twelve, 15 ; thirteen, 21 ; 

 fourteen, 28; fifteen, 13 ; sixteen, 22. Of those 

 discharged, 44 were permitted to go as re- 

 formed, and 29 on trial. The inmates, when 

 at work, are mostly employed in making chairs. 

 Sales of products for the year, $11,544.32, di- 

 minishing by that amount the net cost of sup- 

 port. The superintendent in his report says 

 that many hardened criminals find their way 

 to this institution, and adds : " The deception 

 used by friends to secure commitment to avoid 

 confinement to a more penal institution, is 

 proof of the duplicity and want of thoughtful- 

 ness and integrity in which they have been 

 reared. As proof of this last statement, quite 

 a large percentage of the commitments of the 

 past year as of fifteen and sixteen years of 

 age, obtained from the courts through the per- 

 jury of themselves and friends, range from the 

 ages of seventeen to twenty-four, and have 

 had experience of the most baneful nature." 



MINNESOTA. The Legislature met at St. 

 Paul, as usual, on the beginning of January, 



