A HISTORY of the Albany Penitentiary would
be incomplete, and would, indirectly, do injustice
to those gentlemen who have been its Inspectors
were not a record made of their valuable services.
Those services, though often requiring consider-
able time and labor, have always been rendered
without the smallest pecv/niary reward. They have
kept themselves particularly acquainted with the
state of the Institution, maintained a constant
oversight of its discipline, regularly examined its
accounts, advised, when required, its Superin-
tendent, prepared its annual reports, and dis-
charged, when necessary, other duties, simply for
the promotion of its prosperity, and the public
welfare. It is, therefore, only just that their
names and deeds should be had in remembrance.
The reference to them will be made in the order
of their appointment.
Samuel Pruyn was a well known and highly
respected inhabitant and merchant of Albany,



Albany Penitentiary. 165

who, after his retirement from business devoted
his attention with great assiduity to the penal
and eleemosynary interests of the county. He
deeply felt that there was at that time great need
of this, for the expenses for crime and pauperism
were rapidly advancing in this city and the
county towns.
