Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-09-26
The State Prison of Rhode Island.

resortod to the fabrication and publicity
Of The most infamous slanders upon the
authorities of the State in relation to the
treatment OF Dorr in the State Prison. -
They have asserted that Dorr was pac-
ed in solitary confinement, shut out from
the light OF day almost, in dark, un-
wholesome, and dismal cell, there kept
at hard labor, and denied the privilege
Of seeing his father or mother, or any
human being except the Keeper of the
Prison, with other misrepresentation,
equally shameless. The Providence
Journal has amply reluled from time to
time these slanders, but they are never
theless persisted in, as is well understood, f,
for the purpose Of aiding Loco foe oisIn in
those States and portions Of the country,
where il is difficult to expose their abomi-
nablo ralsehoods. The Journal Of the
10th, in reply to one Of those false and
slanderous articles in the Evening Post,
contains an oGicial statement in reference
to the Prison, which no man living in
Rhode Island will dare pronounce other
than true, IN all lis parts. The Journal
says
II Solitary confinement was abolished d in
| the State Prison before Dorr was com
milted, and he has not been subjected to
/ 1.-THE convicts are indeed nomnally
H sentenced TO solitary confinement and
hard labor; but they all work together in
the same room, and the hard labor is
i nothing more than painting fans, some
! few are employed in shoe-making) at
which they are engaged for about ten
hours a day.
II We repeat that the treatment Of Dorr
| is in no respect more severe than that of
/ others confined in the same prison; and
| that the discipline IN the State Prison OF
| Rhode Island is as mild as in other insl-
tutions OF a similar character, much mild
| er than in the prisons Of New York, If
/ the accounts which we have Of them are
ltrue. The inspectors have allowed MIR.
/ Doris father TO visit him, privilege
which has not been granted TO other prs-
oners, except in case Of severe sickness,
/ and which is granted in this instance from
respect and sympathy for the applicant
\ The following facts in relation to the
| prison are furnished TO US by gentleman
who is officially acquainted with their
correctness:
l "The Rhode Island State Prison was
started on the system Of solitary confne-
meat, that is, each convict was compelled
to work and sleep in cell, alone; bu,
this kind of punishment proved, by fair
and full trial, to be injurious to the minds
Of the prisoners, which was represented
to the General Assembly by the nspec-
tors, warden, and physician of the prison
and in January, 1913, law was passed
authorizing the Board of Inspectors &c
cause the prisoners to be enlarged OF
their confinement, by permitting them to
! perform labor in the corridor Of the pris.
on; by permitting more than one to re.
main IN cell, or nurse to be with then
in case OF sickness, Sc At this time
i there were four insane convicts in the
prison, and others were sometimes show
ing symptoms Of derang but since
\ The change there has been no decided
case of insanity in the prison.
"Durlng the present year workshop
about 40 by 80 feet, has been erected
and the convIcts have been removed
) from the corridor. The workshop j,
one story high and adJoms the prison
\ The prison is two stories high the cor.
I ridor is in the centre, is lighted from the
roof, and makes beautiful arcade, with
gallery on each side, from which i.
The entrance TO The cells in the upper tiers
The corridor is 10 feet wide at the bot
tom, and l6 feet including the galleries
aud is about 100 feet in length.
There are 40 cells in the prison
II Those in the lower tier are 8 feet long
and - feet high and the cells it
The second story are feet wide, IL fee
, long, and of the average height Of lC
/, feet, having the pitch of the roof over
head. The cells are well lighted, hav.
,, ing been originally intended for the pris
, oners TO work in. Each cell has con
{ slant supply of fresh water from reser
voir and lead pipes, so that each prisooe
can draw for himself, aud there is no ex
cuse for the convict who lets his cell ge
duty. AT present there ere only lS con
victs in the prison.
r Particular care is taken by the off
, GERS to have the cells, corridor, ao'
workshop kept clean and well ventilated
Each cell has a separate ventilator
is the duty OF the physician Ia visit III,
prison once a week, and olicner IL noed
ed Aud it is the duty Of one Of the in
spectors to visit the prison at least one,
! "A week, and, IN the absence of the war
den and UUdcrkcepers,t to examine into lh,
situation Of each prisoner, and TO SCI
that the rules and regulations Of The pris
on arc strictly observed Labor is ~
, III uuirpd nfth conytcts and thpv arc "a a.