The Weekly comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1853-1855, 1854-02-12
NO. SO.
Report Of the B8a rd 81 Directors
or THR
lCUISlANAsPENIrENTlARY.


thanks for ecpy Of this valuable doc
timeht. upon which, at an early day
We design commenting at large. The
report is full and complete III all the
details, necessary to place the true
condition Of the Prison before the leg
'slature. with valuable suggestions
from The Board. in reference to IFS f,,.
tute management Schedules are
appended showing The number Of pris-
oners confined the number DISCHARGED
during the year The number partloned
----t1a ages and nations Of Prisoners.
and the Grimes of which they have
been convicted The following hu-
name suggestions from The report, we
cannot refrain from giving place to-
This being The last year Of tie pres
ent lease Of the Institution, IL may
not be amiss, for the Board to express
an opinion IN regard to The releasing
Of The the satne. Our board arc de-.
cldedly opposed to the system of leas-
ing the labor Of crime il our State. to
a company whereby creating mo-
vly--and enriohing a few, to the
detriment ofmany and at the SAME
time. change the spirit and intention Of
the Institution from place where
punishment for crime Is meted OUT
but that the criminal may have The
opportunity Of reformation, where even.
handed justice may be dealt out where
the force Of example, instruction and
advice Of the officers connected with
the institution may have full and prop.
er effect And not where dollars and
cents is the controlling iuHterest. Eth
CT in the seanty allowance Of food and
raiment, or the low price paid to the
officers and guard employed in the In.
sitution The great i,npertance Of
every Office connected with the Insti-
tuition. and having proper and compe-
tent men, assigned to the various sta
tons is not ih general fully understood
and ean scarcely be appreciated by the
public OF large. who have no adequate
means Of obtaining the proper infor.
nation to enable them to Judge Of the
capacity and qualifications required
In this branch Of the public service.
Those who are entrusted with the care
and direction Of this Institution, are
called to perform not only he ordins-
ry duties ofpublic officers, but they are
charged with the additional and res.
popsible post Of controlling, governing,
correcting, improving, aud elevatihg
ihe errlng man committed to their
care and by their example, and the
influence Of their personr character and
ondeavour to prepare them
or life Of industry and respectable.
ty when they ogain enter society, ut
he expiration Of their terms Of sem
ence. TO Todischarge this duty accep.
ably, requires peculiar adoption by
nature and cultivation. which few
nen possess---~-and in which many
would utterly fail, who are neverthe-
ess fully competent to conduct any
rdiuary business or pursuit. Could
be expected that men possessing the
eTl'site qualifications Of warden, or
ven guard, could be had for tho
r'ces Of fifteen or twenty dollars per
aonth---for which service is now paid
y the Lessess-especially in coun-
~ like this, where common labor
from 81 to 81 80 per day?
Out Of two hundred and eighty
1ree prisoners now in confinement,
81 are from New Orleans, and 102
ON the country parishes. In schedule
howlng tho occupation of the prison.
rs, out Of 27l we find 173 with "no
This is an item we hope
ir friend Of the Organ will make a
ote Of, since he attributes all crime to
temperance. 1t will be seen that
'leness may be charged with small
odicum.
The report is published in pamphlet
rm and it is to be hoped there is "a
flicicnt number for general dissribu-