While visiting the cells in the Central Station, City Hall, I always feel a great responsibility resting upon me. I feel that a word spoken in kindness and love may awaken thoughts of the days of innocence and inspire them to endeavor to regain what they had lost. The officials of the City Hall have been very helpful to me in doing all they can to help along the work. I deeply appreciate their kindly services. “Sabbath Reading” has been distributed weekly through the personal efforts of our late friend, John J. Lytle. The subscriptions to this useful and appreciated magazine will expire in March, 1912, per annum. Something over $100 is needed to renew the subscription and I trust that way may open for the continuance of this benefaction. Thanks are due to many of our friends for magazines and papers for the prisoners. During the past year Emlen Hutchinson, Esq., Chairman of Board of Inspectors, Philadelphia Prison, has kindly sent me $80.00 for the purpose of sending home runaway boys, a donation of great usefulness. Respectfully submitted, FREDERICK J. POOLEY, _General Agent_. COMMITMENTS TO MOYAMENSING, PHILADELPHIA COUNTY PRISON. White White Black Black Total Males Females Males Females Committed 1906 17,085 2,180 3,106 1,005 23,376 1907 17,090 1,854 2,999 965 22,908 1908 17,497 1,740 3,267 916 23,420 1909 13,228 1,247 2,443 767 17,685 1910 13,518 1,138 2,547 706 17,909 1911 13,576 1,053 2,815 843 18,287 The Philadelphia County Prison, Holmesburg, was opened as a penal institution on December 28th, 1896, since which time, 12,767 men had been received to December 31st, 1911. F. J. P. ENFORCE IDLENESS OF PRISONERS The law of Pennsylvania limits to thirty-five per cent. of the whole number of convicts, those who may be employed in any of the trades; as a consequence, the greater number of them are consigned to enforced idleness. No punishment could be more severe, and if punishment is the chief object of our penal system, it is certainly secured by Pennsylvania law. It is a system, however, which belongs to an age long since past, when the reformation of the criminal had little or no consideration. It is proper that an evil-doer should suffer punishment and that society should be protected from his evil ways, but humanity and Christianity alike require that at the same time that he is subject to the restraints of the law, the wisest efforts should be made for his improvement and reformation, the correction of his evil propensities, and the formation of good habits, to the intent that when the prison gates are opened to him he may have a fair chance to become an upright and useful citizen.