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The following is a recapitulation of the work done by the police force during the past year, a more extended exhibit of which will be gathered from the annexed table:

The whole number of arrests during the year has been 24,542, of which 19,757 were males, 4,785 females, 9,158 were married, 15,384 were single, 14,530 could read and write, 10,012 could not read or write.

The offences may be classified as follows:

Offences against the person-12,128 males, 3,689 females.
Offences against property-7,629 males, 1,096 females.

Of the cases reported the following disposition has been made: 1,702 have been committed to jail, 614 have given bail for court, 207 have been turned over to the military, 7,731 have been dismissed, 2,038 have been committed to the workhouse, 644 have given security to keep the peace, and in 815 cases various light punishments have been inflicted, and they have been classed upon the records under the head of miscellaneous.

Fines have been imposed in 10,791 cases, amounting in all to $50,355 06, as follows:

In Washington city, including a part of the county
In Georgetown, including a part of the county...
For selling liquor to soldiers, imposed under the act of Congress..

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$46,131 00 3,743 06

481 00

50,355 06

The number of destitute persons furnished with lodgings has been, during the year..

Lost children restored to parents...

Sick or disabled persons assisted or taken to hospital...

Horses or cattle found estray.

Fires occurring in the District.....

Doors left open and secured by police...

Horses and vehicles found estray restored to owners

3,846

136

118

69

68

110

33

PROPERTY OPERATIONS.

The whole amount of property received by the property clerk during the year, as per his reports, amounts to.

$33,173 28

The whole amount of property delivered by the property clerk dur-
ing the year, as per his reports, amounts to....
Total amount of property and money delivered during the year by
order of the magistrates, and of which the property clerk has no

32,961 62

account...

145,456 94

Total...

211,591 84

REPORT

OF THE

WARDEN OF THE JAIL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

NOVEMBER 1, 1866.

In compliance with an act of Congress of February 29, 1864, requiring the warden of the jail to make an annual report to the Secretary of the Interior, I have the honor to submit the following report:

Since my last report of November 1, 1865, the jail has been much crowded, and crime seems not to have decreased. The crowded condition of the cells and rooms calls for a speedy completion of the new jail.

The large number of children of both sexes committed for crime, who have to be confined with old offenders, shows the importance of a house of refuge to which these juveniles can be sent. The statistics of our jail show, what common sense would lead us to expect, that these vagrant and neglected children form the raw material out of which our dangerous criminals are in due course manufactured. A large proportion of the present aggregate of crime might be prevented, and thousands of miserable human beings, who have nothing before them but a helpless career of wickedness and vice, might be converted into virtuous, honest, industrious citizens, if due care were taken to rescue destitute, neglected, and criminal children from the dangers and temptations incident to their position. It is very desirable that the house of refuge contemplated by Congress should be finished as soon as possible, that these unfortunate children may not be obliged to be confined with the hardened criminals in prison.

The discipline of the jail, for the past year, has been as good as could be expected. Although the building is a mere shell, and very insecure, yet not one prisoner has succeeded in breaking out for fourteen months past, although a great many attempts have been made by cutting holes in the walls and otherwise. Much of the credit for this is due to the guards of the prison who are watchful and attentive to their duties. Instead of shower bathing, whipping, and chaining prisoners for disobedience of the rules, the only punishment inflicted on refractory persons is putting them on short allowance of food, and this alone, in most cases, has had the effect of producing obedience and good discipline.

There is no law to compel persons confined in jail to work, but for the last year I have had the co-operation of Mrs. Lydia J. Stull, formerly employed by the sanitary commission, who has voluntarily visited the prison daily and furnished the females with sewing, allowing them compensation, and by this means training them to be industrious and useful when dismissed. She has also undertaken to teach the ignorant to read and write, and distributes useful reading matter among the prisoners. There are also missionaries who visit the jail every Sabbath to give religious instruction, and circulate tracts and papers to the pris

oners.

Any one who is in the habit of visiting our jail will soon learn to recognize certain prisoners as almost regular habitués of the prison. Should he remonstrate with any of this class on their course of life he will probably hear some of the following excuses: "that it is not his fault, he has no place to go when he leaves prison;" "no one will employ him," &c. Such or similar excuses are constantly urged, especially by female prisoners, and there is, no doubt, much

truth in them. The evil is a serious one, and must be met, if at all, by the co operative efforts of benevolent and enlightened individuals or societies. There are few ways in which the active philanthropy of our large cities could employ itself with so much real benefit to our criminals as by the establishment of soci eties for the assistance of discharged prisoners, especially females. The amount of good thus effected can hardly be overestimated. I am happy to say the same lady who visits the jail (Mrs. Lydia J. Stull) has succeeded in establishing a home for the unfortunate female prisoners who are discharged from prison, where they are provided with employment, and taught to read and write, and thus made useful citizens. I would most earnestly commend this undertaking to the benevolence of our philanthropists.

During the past summer one of the hospital buildings from Judiciary square has been removed to one of the yards of the prison, and been used as a hospital for the sick. This has been of much service, owing to the large number of cases of typhus fever prevailing in the jail.

The following is the number of commitments for the year, the character of the offences, &c.:

The number of commitments for the year, 2,065:

For murder.....

assault with intent to kill

assault and battery

garroting

10

64

225

12

robbery

$6

burglary

118

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selling liquor without license.

fugitives from justice.

cruelty to children

A large majority of the persons committed to jail during the year have been colored, and of that class who have formerly been slaves.

2

4

6

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The daily average number of prisoners during the year.
Number of prisoners sent to Albany during the year.
Number of prisoners sentenced to jail.

White boys sent to house of refuge, Baltimore.
Prisoners sent to insane asylum..

Number of deaths during the year....

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As no house of refuge would take colored boys or girls a great many have been dismissed by the court, after remaining in jail a limited period.

The officers of the jail consist of a warden and nine guards, seven of whom

have faithfully served their country as soldiers in the Union army.

The expenses of the jail for the year ending October 31, 1866, ae ars follows: For subsistence of prisoners.

Fuel, bedding, clothing, &c...

Medicines

Repairs on building.

Transportation of prisoners to Albany penitentiary
Pay of officers and laborers of jail .........

Total

$8, 565 50 3,375 74 305 00

866 31

6.329 00

13,985 42

32,626 97

The following is the report of the physician.
All of which is most respectfully submitted:

Hon. O. W. BROWNING,

Secretary of Interior Department.

T. B. BROWN, Warden.

WASHINGTON, D. C., October 15, 1866. SIR: It is a source of congratulation to all that the government is about to erect a new jail in this city. Humanity and policy alike require a suitable building. Year after year this jail has been presented as a public nuisance on account of its insecurity and unhealthiness. The crowded state of the building, and its imperfect ventilation, have a most injurious effect on the condition of its inmates; and at present it is a reproach to the government, in the midst of its splendid edifices in this the metropolis of the nation.

By constant whitewashing, using chloride of lime and other disinfectants, the vitiated air has been partially purified, and disease from such causes checked. The following is the average number of cases of diseases treated at the jail during the past year, including the endemic of typhus fever which occurred there last spring:

Diarrhoea and dysentery, 75; small-pox, 3; venereal, 80; mania potu, 50; fever, 112; rheumatism, 30; miscellaneous, 150-total, 500; deaths, 3.

It is remarkable and providential, under all these disadvantageous circum

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