Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-03-11
Report on tho System Of Disbursements,
Labor and Discipline, Of the Maine
State Prison.

Report on tho oystcn ol bispuisohohs''
Labor and Discipline, Of the Maine
State Prison.
by JAMS q. BLAINE: Commissioner dP'
pointed under Re'oire oPPrOrsd March q
1858.
by the politencss OF tho author OF this
pamphlet, we have received copy, and
take this opportunity to iulrod"ce 1t to our
readers in this County. This Report Is
pamphlet OF spmo % pages. accompanied
with autographs engraving. reWcsen,-
ing the form, dimensions, aud manner OF
constructing new State Prison.
For many years. 1t has been supposed
that the Maine State Prison was not con.
.tructed and managed as it should he; and
tina, the large annual expenditure ought to
be diminished The idea has long been en-
tertain,d. that the Prison should be, aud
soon would he. self.sustaihius Many
Prisons 10 other S,a,es, had been 80 man
aged as to yield an income or pay their
way and the question was yearly rrcur.
ing. why could M, the Prison Of Maine at.
tain the same end. Instead Of cus,in: the
State annually $4,000, why should it no,
pay it, bills?
To settle these various questions, the leg
i.laturc year ago passed a resolve, au.
thoriIing the Governor :" to appoint somo
suitable person To examine into the system
Of disbursements, labor and discipline, IN
the Maine State Prison, and to compare the
Same with that of the Prisons In other
States. in order to determine whether there
may not with advantage be some change
effected, - rs TO render the Prison scll.sup-
porting. and il possible a sou,cc Of revenue
to tho State Treasury " Til. resolve made
other provisions, in relation to DO ks and
documents, and required tho governor to
lay the result Of tho commission before the
legislature. This report Of Mr.. Blaine, Is
the result alluded To m the resolve.
Ia Mr.. Blainc's appointment, ho Pre-.
cccjed To the State Prison, examined IT.
condition. history and management. lie
then examined all the statistic, of this in-
s,itltiou, In the Archives Of State. at Au.
gus,a. and subsequently, visited aud exam.
incl the discipline aud management, Of lin.
liar institutions in other Sta,cs.
The rrsul, Of this cNamioation, has been
an embodiment Of facts aud arguments,
which will surprise the people Of Maine.
lie shows the great fact that the Maine
State Prison. since IL establishment in
ls23. to lSiS. has cost tho state $32l,-
40 ,2O,-.thrcc hundred aud twenty one
thousand. seven hundred and forty dollars,
and twenty cents and THAI the Prison
costs on an average, about Zen thousand dol.
lar, annually, to dciray it. expenses. The
report proceeds to show the internal man.
agcmcn, Of the Prison. from year To year
the manner in which the labor i, perform.
ci-thc cost Of provision, &c.
The conclusion OF the report is, that the
State Prison, at Thomaston, canned ever be
selt,u,aininr, on account Of locality-br-
ing mercantile and not manufacturing
locality and that Il would h. more econ.
omical To- built u new Prison. in - locality
like Portland. Lewiston, or BIddeiorl, OF
some such place, at a cost Of $4,000,
than 10 continue It where it i.
The Report is able, impartial, and full,
and wall attract the attention Of the lcsisla-
ture aud the people. II new Prison, a,
this great cost. could b. made scli sustain
ing, IN twenty year. the State would lind
itself IN better condition, financially, than
- continue the present establishment.
Aud especially, II the prcscn. Prison mu'1
h. enlarged at an cIpcnse Of 100000, at
once. It would unluc.tionably be economy
to build tho new PRISON, II 1t. ability, after
being built, could or would be such as
promised.