New-York tribune., 1867-06-01
PRISON DISCIPLINE.

ou,es as being also dsgraceui anu uu"Oi'nS ,"V ,o
SoyyYork The statements made by that oihcai uoOu @
cant reoeiye confirmation IN the reports pelo"
actual condition Of the institutions In wc 'nS
Ssgrants and cI1mlnas VI 'No N4"0' "a
brooklyn are eonfned' - ,,orsrs
TIE CELLS THE ToMBs AND STATION Hos9-9 ,. .,
,Iate wears complaints of overcrowdlng anu ~"D. ,
>tlation have been made against the loinpT s5od
,he main these complaints have been "eii tV"u"01.
,h its general appearance all our citzeS arc
-, ,a bouever have probably been within us portals
t,,o+ nortion fronting upon Centre-st, occupied as
ioe Courtroom is dark and gloomy, poorly Venla'eu'
md confined as The Court G speeo speSS Of an
movement is stll far from being wen t ON
The main prison rs "a one long cofidor with four
rs Of oesS7 cells in each tier-l4S IN a Ie LIS, @
% IND those convict awaiting transportation to Sing
80 The second and third tiers are devoted 70 ie0I!
ases and the fourth upper tier TO those gy Q s SUI
y h misdemeanors There are at the pISSeit r If
sorton Of the prison, 153 white ana II Dlach
ROT oYerorowded. During the Summer months hOSeSsr
a much larger number of prisoners are tn tbis
narow space This owing TO the fact that duIing
end August the Courts of oyer and Iermner anu & r
essons hold short terms, ana consequently 'no P
sJners during that time accumulate rapidIy. ,.N tr O
s T1s df tSS oS on be SY second tier feet inches
5nches: the third tier, ieet hcnes, 10y aee za
aches and those the fourth tier about the se % SIc
s on the third Owing 10 the fact OF the edlhce DehS
erected such low ground the drainage Is very th
feet and stagnant water constantly conecIs pee"tn s
floors. The ground cells are claimed by the prison o
authorities to be Kept perfectly ay ah1 tacs of osre
vlsibie on the floor walls The small building IN the
ard containing eight Ge % s1 9pS the DAYTIME is
devoted to that class known as bummers WHO h no
r oom mentioned are very imperfeetly ventilated The
cells devoted 70 the women are on the sontn se eonb
ing on INOnardst There two tiers ii ces on eacn
Her The same objechOnwant OF yentllauon-ls mere s
apparent, and during the Summer months tne! aro o
The bows prison is twostory brick edce built In the
prison Yard and contains 6 cells far too few for the
6loor fronting upon Centre ST. is CORRIDOR commHnk ~
Sh & ohe C thee Oos O Henry jenkins
well known Phenix Bank defaulteT was lncsroeie car @ IU
nearly two years The statement that ms ce was udh
and that he died from disease contracted from such
Wsnt Of spsce and lack Of ventilation prison
officials TO be the great drawback attendant Oh tho
In many of the Station Houses throughout the city the
prison accommodations are in very poor 5 G09uS4h F.t
and Eighth Precincts located respectively IN ~ osOeIs m h
Leonard and w9osters In these tne ces are m f %
deceny accommodate the number tnrS TN e nSo m dtb SfI
aud Occasionally three and sometimes many as six
persons compelled 10 pass night in them AtempIs
WbiteWasb and by securing them out every day with
water; but it is impossible to Keep them III hanVaoo
Attached to many Of the ptOwn statonHouses how
nc 0n S tbe main budnC These are fitted up with
two tiers OF cells all above ground ana gene1aly aoIu
Of the cells being beneath the ground level they
easily cleansed and are models OF neathes ~ Is pt
end as soon as possible 70 make all
alike in this respect The old are TO be torn down.
aud buildings erected.
THE PRISONS OF BROOKLYN.
pamphlet has Just been issued entitled 81 First Report
OF the Rev j. Wetts Visitation and other labors
in the City of Brooklyn and County Of Kings" 1t is
stated by the author that in May 1866 he entered upon
his field Of labor messenger Of mercy to the inmates
Of prisons and other public Institutes under the di
rection OF the Pastor of the WashngtOn-ave Baptist
Church An experience Of several years among the de
dangerous
given Mr. Wetts special fitness for this work IN tIs
mens which are not at ali eredabe to the reformatory
institutions of Kings County. He that he discovered
suhortes made d'j provision for the administration
lgon spiritual instruction TO the inmates OF these
abOdes Of desttution sickness and guilt Everything IN
that direction is left to chance volunteers happen 10
The County Jail was found in disgraceful condition"
although Mr. wiletts credits the Sheriff and the Manag
ing Committee Of the Board of Supervisors with having
done all that they could under the condition in which
Ssy dSanG tne Jan M SnS M rd Se ian a be STeS
ing out OF cholera In the institution as being wise ana
havoc within the walls The reduction in numbers gave
room TO attend 70 the sck ana te was Is t &
Jail as at any other place an the city where cholera was
treated" Concerning the condition OF the jail, we quote
the words OF the report
Many time in years gone by mas my heart hearJ 9Nn I%n
witnessed such accumulation Of wretchedDess IN such
sa tS angS,es lathe N Wash comb and dress
those committed 10 their custody on the very hresh
what wholesome in appearance Here, there is pro
vision made for these sanitary essentials The prison Is
neither supplied with baths washing conyenlences soap
towels combs &C. neither there assistant keepers TO
carry out discipline which every dictate OF deoency and
In Raymond-st. jail the male prisoners often
crowded by fOur fyes and occasionally TO seyens IN
cells about ten feet long by seven w1de about
swo feet in length Of space occupied by soil and heating
ppes. For want Of room TO classify, men, stepped in
rme, and gloryDg in their shame often thrust into
he same cell with youths and even little boys charged
with first Ofenses together with others who held
there BY caprice and without examination for the pur
pose of extOrng confession other such speou
iaon Then, there the ceanly and the filthy prison
ers all penned up pe nell together. The latter have,
perhaps, just emerged from some foul den OF |
infamy, covered with vermin and other |
wise tormented with oathsOme diseases. There they
remain for weeks and often for months awaiting the
day OF trial. some only TO be let loose without eXamna
tOn because that shadow OF guilt be cOnjured up
against them Some prisoners make desperate effort to
keep both their cells and their persons clean They keep
the whitewash brush going The walls and using the
tin dishes they eat out Of substitute for something
better they do manage TO wash their faces and hands
Others let the whole business OF cleaning and washing
by default. Having underclOthes 20 change, they
Lapse into most revolving condition Woe be 10 those
who have the bad fortune to be locked up in the same
cell with this class OF prisoners The straw bed is spread
tho floor at night and there they lie down together,
often, on account OF heat and yernin IN state OF
nudity, with rug thrown over them. II
The condition OF that large class OF 1nebracs who no
sooner discharged FROM prison but they enter again
the practices which win insure speedy return to the
place OF incarceration led to effort being made which
and bill passed by the Legislature securing to that
Institution IS per cent Of the amount received for the
granting OF licenses for selling liquor in Kings
In closing that portion Of his report which relates to tie
RaymondSt jail, the author asks Is this to continue in
EarthP
Concerning the PeniteDtiary at Flatbush the report
against the severity OF the discipline instancng
the Of fetters which upon legs
they enter the prison never being removed by night or
with projecting horns which is frequently left on at
night so as TO entirely prevent lying down the part OF
the prisoner after days hard labor and before
anohers equally severe The singular fact is noted that
under local bill, which passed years ago. |
habitua drunkenness is construed into felony and the