The Placer herald., 1857-03-07
NUMBER 26.

for sleeping apartments four beds in one cell.
The building is 80 feet wide from north to
SOUTH and l SO feet long from east to west.
The room of the turnkey is in the first story
in the east end Of the building and the resi-
due of the first story is occupied by a single
room, go feet long, with beds for 22S men.
The entrance to the cells in the second story
is from the balcony and the number of cells
is not sufficient to accommodate the number
of prisoners who should be confined in cells.
There should be an additional building erec-
ted, of at least the capacity of the one above
described, to accommodate the prisoners.
with suitable quarters. The building should
be so constructed that the entrance to the
cells should be from hall, as that can be
much more readily guarded than balcony
The committee have no means Of know
ing how much grading has been done within
tie walls of the prison during the last year;
but they have every reason to believe that
improvements in that respect have been
made to large amount, and that, in a few
months the grading will be complete. There
is, at present. large amounts of lumber lying
loose about the lumber yard-thus giving
facilities for scaling the walls which should
be removed, and the chances of escape avoid
ed
The Lessee has, within the last year, under
his contract, commenced the construction of
wharf about 400 yards east of the prison,
which when completed, Will enable steam
boats, at all stages of the tides, by going
about mile and half out of their course,
to land and discharge their freight. This
is rendered necessary when we consider
that at this time and as wharls at the pris
are now located vessels of any considerabl
draft can only pass the bars at high tides.
The Lessee has also commenced and now
nearly finished two ranges of workshops
more particularly described in exhibit No. l.
herewith submitted.
These workshops should have been erected
long since, and the prisoners should have
been required to work within the walls.
There are several buildings outside tue
prison walls now in use as Offices, store
houses, bakeries and eating departments; a
portion of these are on lands not the prop
erty of the State, but are in constant use as
prison property.
CoNDTloN OF THE PRISONERS.
The sub committee mentioned, on the Goth
day of January, proceeded to make their ex-
animation of the prisoners. The Lessee
p'itCct dI tHclI ulSpoSd tHo oilNcio vi tho
prison, who called into the prison yard all
the prisoners whose attendance could be
readily secured. The Committee had pro-
vided for use n list of all the prisoners,
which according to the books Of the prison
should be present Each prisoner, as his
name was called passed from the circle in
which he was standing, in view of the Com
mittee The Committee found present at
the prison and Island, convicts, the names
whom are herewith submitted in Exhibit No.
9. The men were in general, sufficiently
well clothed for pleasant weather, but for
stormy, there should have been additional
clothing. There was want of shoes among
some of the convicts and the Lessee should
be compelled by rules to furnish additional
supplies of clothing, 50 that prisoners at all
times during winter, should have shoes.
None, or at least few Of the conyicts were
furnished with socks. At this season of
the year in the opinion Of your committee
each prisoner should be furnished with
change of clothing, including socks, and
more attention should be paid to the cleanli
hess of the convicts by requiring them to
change their clothing.
The ten convicts said to be on the ranches
we did not see, and the two at San Rafael
were not seen by the Committee. There
were six persons not found at the prison
and not accounted for by the officers Of the
prison. Their names are shown in Exhibit
No. 2. We have no means of knowing
where those persons are, or what they are
employed about, except the convict Esporza.
a." The labor Of the prisoners has been expen-
ded during the year last past mostly in I'M
proving tie prison grounds and in making
bricks. ''' 9'' -
Bricks are made outside the prison walls,
and the convicts while at work, are under a
guard who watch their movement and pre-
vent escapes, and about 100000 Of bricks
have been made at the prison during the
last year.
Tie conviets not found at the prison were
of four classes:
lst. Those at Marin Island, quarrying
stone.
Cd. Those working on ranches occupied
by Lessee, from one to three miles distant
from the prison.
Sd Those on board boats Of Lessee, and
4th Those allowed to work for ci izens
at San Rafael. The names of those conviets
thus engaged, are shown in exhibit No. 2,
The said subcommittee examined the pro-
visions used in feeding the prisoners, and re-
port that the -four used is of a coarse quail
ity but sweet, and well adapted to the use of
prisoners; the same remarks apply to the
beans used We examined the hams and
bacon used, and consider the lot on hand as
unsuitable for provisioning the prison. Some
Of the pieces were in the last stage OF decotf-
position These were thrown aside, ana the
better quality only used, but the rules OF
prison should require the use of uncondemn-
ed meat. For the quality of the hams used