64. Sioux City Academy of Science and Letters. 
supposed then to have been living. The average period 
in prison of those paroled men had been less than two 
years, although their maximum sentence averaged more 
than twice that time. Among 1,355 inmates then under 
the indeterminate sentence, 74 only were in the lowest 
or punishment grade; 485 were in the neutral grade; 498 
were in the lower first grade, and 298 were in the upper 
first or probationary grade. Of the latter 66 reached that 
grade after only six months’ trial; 57 from seven to nine 
months; 25 from ten to twelve months—that is 148, or 
one-half in their first year’s residence. In their first 
year’s parole 329 convicts of the same year’s liberation 
showed at the end of the year these facts: 83 were abso- 
lutely free for good conduct; 165 were still serving, and 
of good conduct, 2 were dead, 2 discharges upon expira- 
tion of the maximum sentence; 9 sent to prisons, and 68 
failed to correspond with the Elmira authorities, who 
computed that half, or 34, had resumed evil courses. 
Again regarding as cases of failure, all about whom no 
positive statements can be made, we have 75 per cent. 
practically reformed. 
The method at Elmira has been to work with nature, 
not against it. The theory of the old education that the 
sole work of the teacher was to train the boy’s mind and 
the boy’s body was merely an incumbrance brought along 
of necessity to torment the teacher has given way to an 
intelligent understanding of the relation of the body and 
mind. This principle is provided for at Elmira by mili- 
tary drill and by physical training. Physical training 
has been used since 1886 and on a large scale since 1890. 
It has been used especially in dealing with the dull and 
physically abnormal among the inmates. These are 
described by Dr. Wey: “morbid minds and undeveloped, 
poorly nourished, and diseased bodies had made them 
stupid, slow, disinclined if able, to apply their minds to 
useful knowledge, and, generally, unprogressive. Many 
are illiterate and some are ranked not much above idiots. 
So long have they existed without effort made to culti- 
vate their faculties that their brains yield slowly, if at 
all, to the ordinary processes of education. In conduct 
they rank with incorrigibles, often because they have no 
appreciation of the distinction between right and 
