The Nevada Democrat., 1858-03-17
state Prison Matters.

State Prison Matters.
On our first page will be found message
from Governor Weller in relation to the affairs
Of the State Prison, together with an address
which he caused to be read to the prisoners.
Since the Governor took possession Of the pris-
on, on behalf of the State, he has introduced
many wholesome and humane regulations for
the government of the convicts and so far as
in his power, has corrected the many abuses
which have heretofore obtained under the lessee
system. Corporeal punishment that relic OF
barbarism, has been abolished and the guards
have been instructed not to strike, or otherwise
mal-treat prisoner, except in self-defense, or
to prevent escapes Some of the cells have
been converted into dungeons for the punish
mcnt Of the refractory. The favoritism which
has heretofore been shown, by which the con-
victs who had money, or influential friends,
were allowed to fare better than their less for
tunate fellows, has been strictly prohibited, and
In future oil the prisoners will be treated alike
The practice of the keepers, of taking from the
newly arrived convicts all articles Of value
and appropriating them to their own use, has
been prohibited, and the Governor has directed
that an account shall be taken of all the prop
erty found upon them, for the purpose of hav-
ing 1t restored on their discharge from the pris-
on. These are some of the reforms already in
stituted, and others equally just and humane
are recommended.
Convicts are discharged without dollar in
meney, and many of them without decent cloth
ing. It is not possible for them to Immediately
procure work in the vicinity of the prison, and
their only resource from starvation, is to again
resort to criminal practices. Thus, those who
are disposed to reform find it impossible to do
80. In order to gve them an opportunity for
reformation, the Governor recommends that
each convict on his discharge from prison, be
furnished with good suit Of clothes, and pre-
sented with small sum of money-say fifteen
or twenty doliars-which will be sufficient to
provide for his immediate wants. or take him
to any part of the State.
The practice of many of the Courts of SEN
fencing men to long terms of Imprisonment for
comparatively light Offences the Governor does
not approve. There are now quite number
Of convicts, some of them mere boys, who have
been sentenced to from ten TO twenty years i'm
prisonment for larceny. These long sentences
for larceny and some other offences, are not
only calculuted to defeat the principal object of
punishment, reformation Of the criminal but
also tend to reduce all crimes to the same level.
The Courts of this State are too much Influenced
by popular excitement, and criminals are fire.
quently sentenced to Imprisonment for o length
Of time wholly disproportioned to their crimes.
In cases Of this kind, the Governor announces
his intention of using the pardoning power, and
In dsing so, says he will not stop to count the
number, or take the opinion of the community
on the subject.
There are now over FIVE hundred convcts in
the penitentiary, aud at the rate the number is
Increasing, they will soon exceed thousand.
A number of them are considered as Justly en-
titled to executive clemency; but he has not the
power to pardon them, because they have no
friends outside to give the proper notice to the
eficers, nor money to pay for advertising the
notice as required by law. In view of this fact
the Governor recommends that he be author
issd in extraordinary cases, either to grant par
dons without the usual formality of advertising
the notice Of application, or that the notice may
be published at the expense of the State.