An Act, urged by the Prison Reform League, and which received our hearty sanction, providing for the appointment of a commission of five persons to investigate prison systems in this commonwealth and elsewhere, and to recommend such revision of the existing prison system as may be deemed wise, for adoption by the next General Assembly, was passed and approved by the Governor. An Act, proposed by the State Board of Charities, providing that prisoners may be released from county prisons to work on farms belonging to the State or county was passed and received the approval of the Governor. This Act shall remain in force during the continuance of the present war. Already several counties have taken advantage of this Act to the satisfaction of all parties concerned. An Act, designed to render the present law more effective with regard to the employment of prisoners in the manufacture of articles for State use, we regret to report, perished in the Committee room. An Act to abolish Capital Punishment passed in the Senate but failed of passage in the House. An Act amending the present law in regard to the Indeterminate Sentence, so that its provisions may more nearly harmonize with its title, was approved by both Houses of the Assembly, but was vetoed by the Governor. While we are deeply gratified to report progress, we shall continue our efforts to secure from the next Assembly favorable action in regard to the measures which failed to become statutory in 1917. Public sentiment is a plant of slow growth. Possibly our propositions may have been defective in some particulars. With some slight modification or embellishment, we believe all the measures we have endorsed will soon have place among the statutes of the Commonwealth. A synopsis of these measures with some explanation and comment will be found elsewhere in the JOURNAL of which this report forms a part. We desire to acknowledge the valuable services of the Prison Reform League in preparing bills and in conducting hearings before the Committee of the Assembly. DISCHARGED PRISONERS. The majority of the prisoners who are released from the State Penal Institutions are dismissed on parole. They are under supervision by the Parole Officers from a few months to some years. Most of these paroled persons have some definite place of employment in view. It may be supposed that the operation of the law of parole has to a considerable extent relieved this Society from former obligations in behalf of the released prisoner. Admitting the value of this work of Parole, we still have a mission for the discharged prisoners. 1. Quite a number are discharged on their own recognizance. We often assist these in securing employment and provide them with room and board until they have landed a job.