BY S. C. BOTHWELL, MARSHAL OF SUPREME COURT. The system of imprisonment as now established in the Island is very similar to the system adopted' in most of the United States. In each Municipality there is a small lock-up or hold-over in the nature of a police station, where prisoners arrested for petty offenses are first taken to await trial. In each District there is also a "Depósito Municipal" or jail, in which are confined prisoners condemned to imprisonment for less than one year. Prisoners condemned for periods exceeding that length of time are confined in the "Presidio" at San Juan, an Insular institution equivalent in character to a State penitentiary where prisoners who have been condemned to hard labor for a period exceeding one year are kept in custody.

Since the American occupation, the sanitary condition of the jails and lock-ups will compare very favorably with many of the more pretentious jails in the United States. The personal cleanliness of the prisoners is also carefully looked after, each prisoner being obliged to bathe at least three times a week. The rations issued are abundant and of good quality.

In the Municipal jails the prisoners are not required to do any work except that of cleaning the streets, removing the garbage, and otherwise doing the sanitary work of each Municipality, besides keeping their own jail in order.

In the "Presidio," or Insular penitentiary, an effort has been made to teach a trade to each prisoner and the results have been most satisfactory. This system besides giving the prisoners work to do during their confinement, furnishes them with the means of making a livelihood after being released. This work in the "Presidio" has been divided into departments of tailoring, shoemaking, hat-making, basket-making, cigar-manufacture. carpentry, black-smithing, masonry, etc. The manufac ture of furniture receives special attention and the results accomplished in this department have been especially gratifying. Some of the public buildings are equipped with the furniture made in the penitentiary and the quality of it, both from an artistic and a practical standpoint, is such as to have attracted some attention.

During the past five months the Director of Prisons has given much attention to the plan of having all of these departments of industry fully represented by samples of the best work of the prisoners at the Pan American Exposition.

The work thus done by the prisoners accrues not to their benefit but to the benefit of the Insular Government. The prisoners however are allowed during good conduct one cent each day during the time of their confinement and upon being released each prisoner, whatever may have been his conduct while in prison, is furnished

with a new suit of clothes together with a hat and shoes. Many of the prisoners are skilled in the making of lace and at odd times while not carrying out the routine work they are allowed to use their time in that way and the lace thus made is sold for their own account and the proceeds are sent either to their families or kept on deposit with the Director of Prisons until they are discharged. The work in the several departments is compulsory.

A night school is carried on at the penitentiary at which English is taught. This also is compulsory, every prisoner being compelled to attend.

The penitentiary prisoners wear a uniform of brown drill; and the jail prisoners a uniform of white drill.

There are 1,040 prisoners in the jails and penitentiary. -1 for each 950 inhabitants. While statistics are not at hand for comparison, it is thought that considering that this includes all confined for more than 30 days, it will compare very favorably with any State in the Union.

Of this whole number of prisoners confined in the penitentiary and district jails, there are but six women, a fact that is so unusual in criminality as to attract special attention, and this is more remarkable for the reason that the last census indicates that the females outnumber the males by 8,721.

The garrote still remains the method provided by law for executing the sentence of death. The general impression entertained by those who have not studied the matter is that this method of execution is cruel and a relic of inefficient methods. As a matter of fact, however, it is as efficient and humane as any method that has been adopted. Death is almost instantaneous. There is no failure or the possibility of bungling, as seems to be the case with hanging and electrocution. There is no indication of great pain; on the contrary, except for a faint movement for an instant in the hands and feet, there is no indication of suffering.