8

victed of petty crimes and are sentenced for very short terms,
many being for from, one to six months. During the past
year, there were 99 of this class sent for terms of one year or
less, who are a perfect burden, because of the objections of
the contractors to "short term" prisoners, and the objections
offered against them are most reasonable. As the prisoner,
about the time he becomes valuable to the contractor as an
expert hand, in any of the departments, he is discharged by
expiration of sentence and his place must again be filled by
a new and unexperienced hand. Besides this, each of these
"short term- prisoners are provided, upon entering with a
prison suit, and also upon retiring with a business suit of
clothing and $2 in money, which amounts to a very consid-
erable item of expense annually. Tour Committee would
suggest a remedy below, bat before doing so, would call at-
tention to the following statistics: