He was a delegate, in 1886, to the American Prison Association, and for twenty years thereafter he was usually in attendance at the sessions of that body, taking an active part in the proceedings and serving on its leading committees.
When the State Legislature, in 1895, discontinued the appropriation of $3,000 per annum for the equipment and support of prisoners discharged from the Eastern Penitentiary, John J. Lytle solicited private contributions to continue this aid, and so successful were his efforts that no prisoner in need in all these years has been dismissed from that institution without practical help and sympathetic attention. The task of making these collections and of attending to every minute detail of their distribution involved unremitting labor, which he ceased not until bodily infirmity in his eighty-fifth year compelled him to take a much-needed rest. From the autumn of 1908 till the time of his death he was mostly confined to his home and vicinity, but was able to maintain quite a large correspondence and to enjoy the visits of his friends. His genial, kindly disposition had endeared him to a large circle of acquaintances, who deeply appreciated the privilege of his intimacy. His interest in the cause of the prisoners never flagged. The summons came while sitting at his writing table by the side of his dear wife, who had been his faithful companion for more than sixty-two years. A stroke of paralysis, then a few days of unconsciousness and all was over.
He was a birth-right member of the Society of Friends. In 1849 he was married to Anna Reeve, and he is survived by the widow, one son and four daughters.
Report of American Prison Association, Washington, D. C. 1910 Correction and Prevention. 4 vols. Charles Richmond Henderson Editor, 1910. I. Prison Reform--Criminal Law in the United States. II. Penal and Reformatory Institutions. III. Preventive Agencies and Methods. IV. Preventive Treatment of Neglected Children. Bulletins of the International Prison Commission, Nos. 1 to 16. (Printed in French) 1910 Report of Board of Inspectors of Convicts of Alabama 1906-10 Blue Book of Arizona 1911 Report of State Board of Charities and Correction of California 1908-10 Report of State Penitentiary of Colorado 1910 Report of Prison Association of Colorado 1909-10 Report of Prison Association of Connecticut 1909-10 Report of Trustees of Reform School for Girls, Washington, D. C. 1910 Report of State Reformatory of Illinois 1910 Report of State Reformatory of Indiana 1909-10 Report of Woman’s Prison of Indiana 1910 Report of Board of Prison Commissioners of Kentucky 1910 Report of State Board of Charity and Correction of Louisiana 1909 Report of Prisoners’ Aid Association of Maryland 1910 Report of Board of Prison Commissioners of Massachusetts 1910 Report of State Board of Charity of Massachusetts 1910 Report of Board of Charities and Correction of Michigan 1909-10 Report of Board of Charities and Correction of Missouri 1909-10 Report of Board of Charities and Correction of New Hampshire 1909-10 Report of State Prison of New Jersey 1910 Reformation--66th Annual Report, New York Prison Association 1910 Report of State Board of Charities of New York 1910 Report of State Reformatory for Women of New York 1910 Report of Board of Charities and Correction of Rhode Island 1910 Proceedings of Conference of Charities and Correction of Virginia 1910 Report of State Board of Charities and Reform of Wyoming 1909-10 Report of Society for Organizing Charity of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sterilization of Degenerates. Edwin A. Down, M.D. 1910 The Public and the Prisoner--Central Howard Association, Chicago, Illinois The Crime Problem. Colonel Vincent Myron Masters 1909