Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1847-07-01
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE


LITCHFIELD COUNTY COMMISSION
To the Hon General .asstmbIy Of the 4
Of Connecticut, TO Be- holder IL HurU5
yMay lsl7.
In pursuance to the Statutes relative 10 4
Dor performed in County Prisons, the und,
signed County Commissioners foi the COUNT
Of Litchfeid, respectfully report. "
That until the last year, the commons
goal Of said County was arranged and -conff
structed in a manner similar TO others, for.
merly existing in the Stale. SOlitarxsconf
fnemcnt, during no portion of the day or
night, was adopted. The rooms we're large x
seldom more than two were occupied by
criminals, and some half a dozen prisoners
were co1fned in the same apartment, witty
but little reference TO age, OF complexion, or
progress ia crime. The apartments Were
lily ventilated and the utmost care could
not prevent their being disgusting and nau11
seous. The occupants, being destitute Of
useful employment, were engaged as thee
spirit of evil prompted them, the young
were initiated in the most skilful methods
Of committing offences, and the more advan.
ced were confirmed in their wickednesS.-t
No care of the keeper could counteract the
degrading effect OF such association. The
graduates Of such an institution, SO far from
being in any way reformed, must necesSa>
rily have been more deeply imbued with vice
and be better qualified to war with all that
is valuable 10 society. And 10 make this
nuisance the more iRtolera able, tavern un>
der the same roof was connected with the
prison.
Tn view of these and other serious evils,
the Attentions of many rhilantEroric. indi>
yiduals in lie county was long attracted
towards devisiBg remedy. During The
last year the proper authority, sustained by
public sentiment, determined to abate the
nuisance, and constructed instead thereof a
prison aud work>house in the most approx
we'd method. The work of demolition, and
erection of the rev prison was commenced
in the spring of 1916, by our predecessors,
after we'll digested plan; and was contin,
ued by US Till its com pletion.
The result is, that within thu exterior
walls, we have in the rear, three stories OF
cells Zone cell for each prisonei) having six
cells in every story; eacn cell about ~
feet high, S long, and l>2 wide. They are
securely separated from each other; and the
floor OF each is composed Of one entire
stone, and the topof eaca is an entire stole.
The door Of each is an iron CRATE after Il e
hest mode. In front and extei ng fom the
ho.tom to the top of The cells is en- ares
81 Tee, long by Is wide and II high, fct
a workshop, we'll ighted-and both cells
and workshop are perfectly Ventilated
Through aicd aperture in The walls
in front Of the cells, the keeper from his
Office, Can at one view command the
workshop and every cell. and every
sound may by him Lc distinctly heard
The wholr,lho secure and durable, at tn"
same time presents neat and tasteful
appearance. Above tho workshop ant
cells, are apartments fer female prisons
crs, for hospital ana storefCom. Tue
Tavern is abolished and the dwelling
connected with the prison is occupied by
the deputy jaiier sni his family.
II is confidently believed, that this wiE
compare iavorably WilA any other pris~
Oh in the state. s.s
The structure having been completcdk
the directors ct the Conn. State Prison,
approved thereof; ard in Oc'. last the
Judge of toe County Court of said Coun-
" AID a majority OF The County Commits.
soncrs, certified that the gaul in satn
County had been fitted and provided with,
suitable and proper ACCOMMODATIONS ap>-
pure eft hereto, to Le used as a Co in,v
work. housc or house Of correction, andt
cause,! said certificate TO be record, d in
the records Of said County, and the same.
was published in the 1T w>papers of said
County according IN Inv. And said,
Judge and Commissioners made and esq.,
tnbl!shcd rules for the regulation and:
government Of said work houe or house
of correction u copy of which is hereto,
annexed. And did apI ont Me- srs. s. r.
BoIles, Josiah G. B"ckwlh and Tom.in>
son Wells, of said Litchfle!d, inspectors.
of said NO! k>htu use or house OF correc,.
ton.
On the 9Th of October 1916 the work.
house wen, into opt rati,, n. and the charge
thereof was committed to Mr.. Jesse l.
Judd the deputy jaiIer-who entered up.
on his duties with alacri,y, and an evil
dent desire 10 promote tn objects SO anx.
iously desi,ed 10 he attained by the es,
iablshmcnt of the house.
Thcre we're then in confinement Is males;
ard female. During the session oT,he,
County Court the same month, 10 of the
number were discharged or sent To tho.
State prison. The number Of commits.
mens were, in October lO-November.
s-December s. Januurv 5-Fehru,rv
March 3-in all 26, which, with ,b..
10 discharged or sent to State prison no.
above, amouat TO 36-heing the whole
number confined from the llth of C.ro1
Der 1876, to March 1917 The AVERAGE
time of Imprisonment Of each was. saw
n l>l0 weeks.
Aggregate time of imprisonment 2;55
IA weeks.
Remaining in prison March 81, 1897
The receipts OF the House fron Oc, ~
to March 81 lS47, has been us follows.
For board of prisoners $5lO67
laborof do. ls4 80
clothing for do Is 81
medical services for do. 75o
Rn La 90 ~ e