Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1867-01-26
From the Governors Message,
PENITENTtARY.

From the Governors Message.
PENITENTfARY.
The resignation of the former Warden
in the early part of the year, imposed up
on the Directors of the Penitentiary the
necessity OF selecting new man for this
important position. Gen. G. C. Walcutt
was appointed, and the present condition
OF the Prison shows that good discipline,
hrmness, system, humanity and econmy
have been exercised in its management.
The expenses of the institution have
been little less than in the preceding
year, but they still exceed the receipts
from the labor of the convicts by the
sum OF Sl6,239 So. This is owing to the
fact that the existing contracts for the
labor OF the prisoners were, under the
law, nearly all made when the value of
labor was much lower than it now is,
and, therefore, while the Penitentiary
has the increased cost of food and cloth
ing to meet, it has not the balancing ad-
vantage of the increased price of labor.
Several improvements are urged by
the Directors and Warden as being of
manifest necessity. Among these are
steam engine, for the purpose of grind
ing bread-stuffs, throwing water for use
in the corridors and cells, washing
sclothes, &c. This appears to be real
necessity, and i'll the end would prove
real economy. The removal Of the old
and nearly useless house, and the sub
stitution of large and somewhat differ
ent building, is also recommended. I'm
der existing laws the Chaplain is requir-
ed, in addition to his duties, to Keep
records and furnish statistics concerning
the prison. This kind of labor requires
an office, which the construction of the
building has not provided, and no dis
posable room is at his command. The
change recommended in reference to the
engine house might be made to include
provision for the chaplain.
The report Of the last named officer
shows that more than three-fourths of
the convicts are under thirty years old,
and in fact large majority of them are
young men who have very recently come
OF age. The number of youthful "first-
offence" convicts are unusually large,
and strongly suggests the inquiry
wheather separation of those who have
not become hardened to crime may not
be possible, and modification of our
system of punishment adopted which
shall have more decided and direct
view to the possibility of reformation in
such causes. One of the natural results
of such war as we have lately had, is
to brake down the respect for life and
property among the worst trained and
least educated classes ofyoung men, and
thousands have given themselves to the
demoralizing life of camp followers, bring
ing home habits which are now carry
ing them into the jails and prisons of the
country. [ caunot doubt that many such
young men might be reclaimed by pre-.
per system ofprison discipline but have
as little doubt that association with old
and hardened offenders in the same prison
shops, fixes the habit of crime and the
hate of legal restraint, and they are dis
charged at the end oftheir term only to
commit fresh wickness
Other States and counties have made
experiments on this subject which arc
worthy of attention. In some of the
prisons of Great Britain, what is known
as the Irish Convict System is reported
to have produced really satisfactory
results. Its characteristic feature is a
continuous instruction Of the prisoner in
regard to his moral relations to society,
accompanied by gradual testingof his
reliability, and proportionate relaxation
of the rigidity of discipline and punish
ment, as he proves himself trustworthy.
The punishment under this system is
more severe than ours on the first entry
of the convict into the prison, but it is so
graduated that continued evidence of i'm
provement reduces the confinement at
last to NEARLY nominal restraint. 1t is
said by very respectable authority that
experience has proven the reformation of
convicts under this system, to be SO
thorough that certificate of discharge
with clear record, is sufficient to secure
the realeased prisoner employment and
confidence without difficulty.
Without fully vouching for this or any
other system which is only known to
me through printed reports and books. l
feel justified in saying, that, inasmuch as
the increase of convicts with the growth
of the State, and the other reasons given
by the Directors and officers of onr
Penitentiary for revision of the laws as
to it's management, force the subject
upon our attention, it is in my judg-
ment advisable to take some immediate
steps to separate the younger convicts,
and those convicted of the less heinous
classes of crime, from they other inmates
of the State Prison, and try upon them
the effect of reformatory system of
treatment.
SOLDIERS CLAIMS AND WASHINGTON AGENCY.
The Commissioner of Soldiers Claims
in Ohio (Mr Taylor) reports 2,sss claims
passing through his hands during the
year past, which, together with unsettled
claims transferred from other offices,
make total of 3,117. He has collected
s53s, ,s2s,91, of which $29,2o2,96 was
on hand at date of report, ready for de-
livery.
The Washington agency (Mr Wet
more) reports the settlement of 1924
claims and total number passing through
his hands of 5,O7s upon which the sum
of $47O,s73 10 has been collected and re-
m1tted to soldiers and their families in