In addition to his ill health, he knew that his anthropomorphic system of measurement, his Bertillon System, had fallen into disfavor among criminologists and would possibly not even survive him.

The process of identification of inmates using the Bertillon System, followed by the development of fingerprinting, the process of parole and management of inmates through programming, are all items that this text indicates Leavenworth having played a part in developing.

unalterable--got folded into the Bertillon system as a convenience.

However, the Inspector General became increasingly sceptical about the accuracy of the Bertillon system, and in 1896 ordered that fingerprint impressions should be taken and recorded on file as well as the anthropometric measurements.