The Placer herald., 1859-02-12
ON1CE BOAGD OF DIRECTORS.
Sr,rE Prison. Febru nv Isl, 1859,

To the Legis'otu.-o Of Coi;fO.nio:
In compliance with ,hc 9,h section of the Act
for the government O." The State Prison convicts
and to provide Tor The locaton Of Branch Pri-
son. the undcrsi gned respectfully report TO your
honor,.e bodies. AS but one COPY has been pre-
pared we beg th?t The o,hcr braoch 0; The Leg
islatuie may be in, ol med o, its recen'on.
Orr efforts have bocn cOnst1nC y d'rected 10 re-
duce the cNnrnscs o. The prisOl, increase the
physical coal;o",s of the colvicts and lessen the
number o" csc, pes.
ia regard 20 ne first it will be seen that the
whole amount dawn iom ,nc Treasury unGer
The Act o. Apr1 / goth. 1856, For the support
of the prison. is S63 500. ne amount expen-
ded for wood in bu ming brick and in purchasing
materials for the buildings erected which were
absolutely necessary, amounts to S46,30l II. The
statement prepared by the Warden will show that
the ordinary expenses during the eight months
endin" on the 3Ist Of December, announced 10
$50 43S SO. beng an average OF S4,429 - per
mon h.
Ii will also be seen that the cost Of the daily
rations. i,clrcng officers and employees. is frac-
ton less THAI thirteen cents 10 each. The account
current will snow hat the cash received rs the
proceeds Of prison labor. is S22,S5S 0S. In or
der that we ight be relieved from the suspicion
OF unfarness. we secured the services OF two
practical builders. disconnected e1,l'ely with the
pr son. to measure and fix the value of the build
iDcs and other improvements made by the prison
c,s. Their statement will show thai during the
months OF Mach and April. when the prison was
in charge of the Governor, the labor was worth
>ll3A4 l3, and during the succeeding eight
months the whole labor, including brick and
stone on hand. at market price, S| ;o23 %.
The account would stand thus:
Labor of convcts and stock added to
prison during eight months ...... ST ,525 81
Cash received rom State Treasury. 54,S6l Gl
Balance in favor of prison ...... S2266l II
One of the old Board of Directors estimated
the ordinary expenses OF feeding. and clo"blng,
and guarding 600 prisoners at $50 per annum.
or $4,000 per month. Governor Johnson says,
in his second annual message:
"Dur;ng the ncumbcncv of the first Board of
Directors the expenditures, including the amount
allowed by them for ,he erection of the prison
wall. was 2,226 81, in the space OF seven
months, being Il monthly average of S54,6O3 SO;
and during the time it was under lhe manage
ment of their Successors, from the lst of January
to the Goth of April, 1856, the expenses incurred
bv them was S93lS6 80; being an average per
month of S24 100; or within the space OF less
than eleven months, costing $475,4lS 23.'
1t will be seen that although 100 men were dis
charged during the eight months ending with
the past year. there is still an increase OF 40 prl-
soners and it is quite probable that before the
present session of the Legislature closes it will
exceed 600. Now when it IS remembered that VIC
have only 62 cells (including those nearly com
pletod) you will perceive at once the crowded
condition of the prison The building now near
ly finished will provide accommodations for some
100 or more prisoners. 1t is now deemed advisa'
BILE to make permanent provision Tor more thall
$50 convicts at that point
Attention is also called to the fact that there
are S2 convicts under the age OF Il years. AS al
present situated it is believed that nine out OF ten
of these youths will leave the prison worse than
when they entered-a majority of them utterly
ruined. The necessity for making some provl-
sion for this class of criminals is SO apparent rel
that we only direct your attention to 1t. The
tables will also show that 24S of the convcts are
Americans by BIRTH and the remaining 334 are
either foreigners or native Callfornlans. Inc
number not able to read or write is set down at
1874: able to read and write, 81; number able to
read. 39S. This statement will show that lgno-
rance and crime are closely allied,
Your attention is directed to the statistical
tables which accompany the report of the Warden
as to the ages nativites ETC., OF the prisoners
Believing that no good and much harm might
result from the publcatian of the names OF the
convicts, we deem it proper to withhold them
unless desired by the General Assembly
Our experience during the past year mas en-
tirely satisfied us that the ordinary expenses
whilst the number of convicts is under GOO, ought
never to exceed S. 900 per month. We respect
fully refer YOU to the detailed report of the War
den, as to the finances of the prison. II is pro
per to remark that when the Office of Chief War
den was created, resolution was adopted eK
pressly directing that no one but a Director ooulc
hold it, and no compensation whatever, should bt
attached to ii. 1t was then expected that othel
Directors would occasionally relieve the Lleute
pant Governor The other two directors visited
San Quentin twice a month, and spent altogether
some forty-fve days at the prison since the orga
nizalion of the Board. As to the physical com
forts of the prisoners, we think it will he fount
that they have been very much improved.
The report of the physician will show tina
there has been very little sickness amongst them
In regard to escapes, we are compelled to say
that so long as prisoners are employed outside