The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1822-11-04
REPORT

Discipline MI afthe Penifenfiary.
On the 18th day Of February last, the
mayor had the honor of presenting to
the board report, recommending the
erection Of discipline mill at the peni.
Tertiary, and he has now the pleasure To
inform them, that the necessary buildings
and machinery were completed on the
9TH day OF September last, and on the Esd
Of that month the mill was put in full O.
pcration. The idea Of attaching this
species Of labor to our peniten,iary sys.
tenn. was first suggested to the presen,
superintendent of our aims house, by Mr..
Isaac Collins, and MIR. Stephen Grellet,
two gentlemen belonging to the society
OF Friends in this city, who kindly fur.
nished us with report from the "society
tor the improvement ofprison discipline
in England, containing correc, engravings
of the buildings and machinery for the
| mill, with description of its operations
and advantages, together with much
other useful information on the subject.
Possessed of,hese lights, and the ia,
Tents and ingenuity of Mr.. Benz. Crooksr.
| under whose direction the mill work was
| constructed, no time was lost in com.
mencing the establishment, and in its
progress much less difficulty has been
experienced than was anticipated.
The building is of stone, thirty feet BY
sixty, and two stories high. That part
occupied by the wheels, on which the
prisoners work, is separated from the mill
by strong stone wall,so that no commu
nication is had with those who feed and
! tend the mill, and those who perform the
labor on the wheels. The building was
originally intended for three wheels and
three run of stones, but it is found by
the experience already had, that the
place is not sufficiently ventilated to ad.
init greater number of prisoners than
can work on the two wheels now in ope,
ration. Each wheel is calculated to give
employment to thirty-two prisoners. six.
teen on each wheel at once; and bell
is so arranged as to strike every half
minute, when one of The prisoners on the
wheel comes off, and another goes Oh.
| by which each man works eight mi.
I nutes, and rests the same space Of time
HE average quantity of grain ground
,PeFsday, is from 40 to SO bushels. which
resumedkGRy be increased to 60
mould toe found on further ex-
that the prisoners can be made
s FORM severer task without injury
% Ffheir health. The consumption of
the aims house, bridewell and penitentia.
ry, is 90 bushels of grain, ground into
meal, per day: the grinding of which
has cost the public from sixteen to TWEEN.
ty-two hundred dollars annually, ayerag.
nS about nineteen hundred dollars year.
II will not be, doubted, therefore, that
sutficiency ofsmeal may be ground by
| additIonal texeriion for the consumption
OF the whole establishment, and that in
manner free from expence to the public.
The costs of working the convicts out
OF the prison, including tools, barrows.
carts, iced for the cattle employed, extra
wear and tear Of clothes, and pay TO the
keepers, has amounted to about 7, 900
dollars per annum. This sum, it is sup
posed by competent judges, would OBJ.
tain, through the medium of private con
tract, the performance of twice the la.
Dor executed by the prisoners IF thi.
be the Tact, ii is certainly one of much
importance for, if it cost the public one
hundred dollars to perform a certain
quantity OF labor, which can be obtained
by private contract for fifty, there ought
to be some evidence of public utility,
arising esther from the punishment or
reformation Of the prisoners, to induce
continuation Of the operation; but MOTH
ing TO justify even the belief Of reforma.
ton has as yet shown itself, and the only
reason which can be adduced in favor OF
continuation of the system is, the want
OF proper employment: for the prisoners.
lhere are always numerous class of
prisoners in the penitentiary and Bride. |
well, consisting Of female prostitutes and |
Migrants, for whom little or no employ.
nent could be provided but il has been
found by late experience that the opera
ton of women on the tread wheel in
proposition to their weight, is equally
useful as that of the men there is, then.
this additional advantage arising from
the erection Of the mill, that this class |
OF prisoners will now be made ito earn
their bread by the sweat OF their brow"
In Carrying into effect our peDitentia. |
~ system, much difficulty has always
been experienced in finding suitable en-.
Ployment for the prisoners but it is |
hoped, that the Introduction Of the disci. |
pine mill, will in a great measure SUD-
ply this deficiency and that the effects |
OF the labor performed will not only re. |
suit to the advantage Of the public, but
the reformation S benefit Of the conyicts |
and IN order that the result of this spe.