The Litchfield County post., 1828-06-12

are four now confined. IL appears from the certificate of the physician, that nearly one half the expense for medical attend ance, on the whole nt~nber of convicts, ,haS been incurred in visiting these four females. Unless tine State shall be willing to incur the expense of organizing in the institution a separate department for females, to be under the control of d matron and other female attendants, it seems nearly imprac- ticable to treat this class of prisoners, as propriety would require. Their attend ants must now be persons of the other sex, and the bare statement of this fact, will present to the mind large class of other objects which we need not enumerate. 1t would be too severe to place them con- stantly by night and by day in separate cells; and the officers have been compel led to place them together, in a single room which is twenty feet square; and yet ev- cry objection against lodging number of prisoners together in the same room, is as applicable to this class of convicts as any other. We are of the opinion that these females, while their labor is of little value, occasion more vexaton and trouble to the officers of the prison than every other con- vict confined in it and we have no doubt that every person acquainted with the sub- ject. will admit the justice of the following remark made to us by the superintendent of Auburn Prison. T have' says he, sun- der my care 45O male prisoners, a nd nine females; and would cheerfully undertake |the care ofan additional 45O mon, to he rid of the nine women.' And in his re- port to the legislature of New York, he re- marks. It is a subject of surprise, that in this enlightened age, females should be confined in the same penitentiary with male convcts.
 The question has been frequently pro- posed whether this institution would here- after support itself, so that no further as- sistance from the Treasury would be ne- cessary.
 In replication to this question, ~e can 1 obviously offer nothing but our opinion. 1 with the considerations on which it is foun- ded.
 Probably no one supposed that the pris- on would, for the first year support itself without assistance.
 ne heavy expenses which are, at first, to be incurred, the embarra>s nents & hin- drances incident to the commencement ot every business, and tho frequent trials and failures which must be encountered before settled plan of operations can be adopted. had led us to expect little from the earnings of the prisoners for the first year.
 It is also to be remarked, ,that the prison commenced it's operations at the very be- ginning of the cold season, ,and yet during a trial for six months, between Oct. lst G April 1st. it has produced over and above expense, ,the sum of $2O17 16 already sta- ted.
 If this experiment thus conducted under circumstances so unfavorable can be relied on, as we believe it may be; twill at least justify the opinion. that afier the sums al- ready advanced by the Warden for the first expenditures shall be reimbursed, mo farth- CT demands on the Treasury will be neces- sary for the support of the establishment.
 Dated, April 10th, 1928.
 JOHN RUSS,
 M. WELLES, Directors.
 JOHN s. PETERS, )