Early Governors' Papers

Columbus Augt 23. 1826.

Dear Sir,

Your letter addressed to Gov. Morrow dated July 17.^th requesting information on the subject of the Ohio Penitentiary has been handed over to me as superintendent of the Institution with a request from the Executive that I would transmit to you the information desired. My leisure will not permit me to give you more than a brief answer to the several interrogations in your letter.

With regard to Publick [sic] opinion as to the utility of the institution Compared to other modes of punishment in Ohio it is difficult to give understandingly a definitive answer. I have however been of the opinion that for the last few years the Legislature have been rather inclined to favour the idea of a Prison upon the Plan of solitary confine= =ment; indeed I am sensible nothing has prevented an experiment being made upon that system except the unsuitableness of our prison & the expense which would necessarily be incurred in making the requisite alterationsMany of the objections however to the present system might be obviated by Legislative enactments - The costs of prosecution should be paid by the different counties instead of being as it now is a charge upon the institution. Although this might not much lessen the general expense, yet it would do away improper Prejudices in the publick [sic] mind against the institution, who read the deficit against the State annually in the Reports of the Prison owing to the above cause.