Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-06-10
THE COUNTY JAIL.

County Jail. We snpposo this presentation is
made in Chittenden County by every Grand
Jury, and the presentations 50 made are filed
away in the County Court Archives. and
that ia all that comes Of them. We believe
it would DO for the public good, 10 havo the
presentations read by the people of the coun.
ty.and We present to our readers those Of 1857
and 1858. We hope their pcrusil will SGT a
good many in the county to thinking that
there is good deal which ought to be re-
garded in the construction of Jail, beyond
having it merely strong enough to keep those
confined there from breaking out.
PRESENTATION OF THE JAIL.
| cuITrENDrN COUNTY COURT,
| November Term, 1857.
| To the Hone rablc tho County Court in and
for the County of Chittenden. now in
session.
The Grand Jury in and for the County Of
| Chittendcn. now duly cmpanelled and sworn
as the statute provides, have made an exam
nation of the County Jail of said county 4:
and to the Court aforesaid. make this. their
presentation
FIRST. In their Judgment the said jail is
sufficiently secure for the retention IF all
| persons confined, or likely to be confined
| therein, provided reasonable and proper care
and watch is exercised by the officer having
| it in charge.
SECOND. Considering the present size and
construction of the jail. it appears to be in
reasonably clean and wholesome cond-
| ton.
THIRD. The Grand Jury Judge that there
are not sufficient numbr OF cells in the
Jail. They learn from the officer that it is
sometimes necessary to confine for the night
t,co persons in one cell. The universal tes-
tImony of those most conversant with pris IN
discipline is to this effect, that the allow
ing two persons to be confined together in
one night cell is of most pernicious influence
In well constructed N properly managed
prison it is never allowed, and it never ought
to b.. There should be more night cells, so
that every prisoner might be confined alone
during the night. This can be effected only
by an enlargement Of the Jail.
FOURTH. Except two small rooms Called
d,btors rooms), in that part of the building
mainly occupied by the family of the jailor
there is only one + ON, in addition to the
night cells, which the prisoners can occupy
room, during the day and evening, there is IN
unrestralned intercourse between all the
prisoners. who during the night occupy the
ad accent night-cells. The old and hardened
off nder the youthful delinquent, perhaps
guilty Of first and minor Off,nce-those,
young OF old, who, perhaps are not guilty at
all, but are incarcerated on an accusation
afterwards pr we'd to be grOundless; the
brutal and the timid the foul mnuthed and
the decently disposed ; those who are So
thoroughly depraved that they find delight
in corruptinp others and ose who at heart
lament their own mis- leeds, and would gladly
turn to better courses if freed from contalnin-
ating influences and placed where good coun-
sells and their own reflections could have a
chance to bring forth their proper fruits-all
these are thrown together Tor large part Of
each t~enty-four hours. and for days, weeks
and even months in succession. WHAT ,cors'
arrangement can well be conceived Of? There
is but one history to all arrangements Of the
sort. line bad are not made better, but the
less guilty are made worse, and the innocent
are almost sure to be put in IA way to become
guilty. There should be the means of class-
tying those imprisoned, So that in such in
trrcoursc with each other as can properly be
allowed, beneficial, and not destructive inhu-
enccs. should have the advantage.
FIFTH. There is no proper arrangement
belonging to the Jail FOR the confinement OF
persons of the female sex. TO place such per-
sons, singly or otherwise. Young or Old. quiet
or turbulent, paratvely modest or aoan-
doned to the lowest pitch Of degradation in the
common room occupied bv the male prison
ers, would shock every feeling of deccncy
and humanity. To coniinc them in the night
cells adjacent to male prisoners, where what
Is sid in one cell can be easily heard in an
other, would be nearly as bad, The only
alternative is to contine them in the debtors
rooms, before referred to. But these, limit
ed as they are in conyeniences in almost
every respect, are especially faulty in that
there is no convenient access from them TO a
proper place to answer the calls Of nature
1t may happen that IN case of needs of that
sort. some proper pers IN can he invoked to
conduct the confined one to a privy, but
more commonly, il we are rightly informed,
those calls must find their relief in the room
where the person is confined. to the great
nuisance of the occupant, or occupants, and
to the serious disc Imiort and oii'nse of the
members of the jaior's family. The Grand
Jury think there ought t. be II separate sultr
of rooms and cells, especially adapted to the
use of females. and 50 cIrcumstanced rs To
be Tree from all communication. by sigh on
sound, with the room occupied by males.
The Grand Jury do not feel called upon
to propose plans for an enlargement and alto-
Improvement needed h., d,.termineo unnn
and the mode of ACCOMPLISHMENT can be