1

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 alterations-
Many 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.