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prisoner, and he characterized it with perfect justice. It is said that the other district and village prisons are in a similar condition. — Newspaper Sibir, No. 45, p. 10. Irkutsk, Nov. 3, 1885. THE IRKUTSK PRISONS. The inmates of the Irkutsk prison, castle have a very hard life — principally on account of the extremely limited space in the cells — but the people who deserve the most sympathy and pity are the exiles. In winter they accumulate in the forwarding 1 prison in such numbers that very many of them have to sleep under the vdri, on the cold, damp floor, and suffer incredible privations. Their unfortunate situation is made worse by the fact that they are not supplied with clothing, but have to wear such rags as they possess of their own. Many of them do not know what it is to have a change of under-clothing, and, generally speaking, they are in a state that would justify them in accusing Diogenes himself of living in luxury. — Newspaper Sibir, No. 1, p. 3. Irkutsk, Jan. 1, 1884. The Irkutsk forwarding prison was overcrowded to the extent of more than twice its normal capacity in 1887. — " The Sanitary Condition of Prisons," Report of the Medical Depart- ment for 1887. Ministry of the Interior, St. Petersburg, 1889. The following are the official statistics of sickness and mortality in all the " prisons of general type " in the province of Irkutsk for the years 1886, 1887, and 1888 : 1886. Average daily number of prisoners 1335 Average daily number in hospital 212 Sick-rate — per cent 15.8 Total number of deaths 56. Death-rate — per cent 4.2 — Rep's, of Chf. Pris. Adm. for years indicated, pp. 10, 9, and 9. The sick-rate in Belgian prisons is 2.7 per cent., and the death-rate 1.7 per cent. —Rep. of Lond. Meeting of Internatl. Pris. Cong., p. 78. THE IRKUTSK CITY PRISON. The Irkutsk prison is a large brick building, two stories in height, with its front facade just opposite the long bridge ovei the brook Ushakofka. As you cross the bridge the building has quite a beautiful appearance, and the idea that it is a prison does not at first enter your head. But it 1887. 1888. .. 1311 . 1280 .192 . 160 14.6 . 12.5 . . 84. . 90 6.4 .

7.