Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-03-12
The Prison Pens of Ohio.

The Prison Pens Of Ohio.
The Annual Report Of the Board OF
State Charities, says:
It is a startling and terrible PROPOSE
ton, sustained by this report, that Ohio
is to-day supporting at public expense,
| as base " seminaries of crime " as are to
be found in any civilized community.
Children, youth, the young man, the
middle-aged, the old, all at the first
simply accused of crime, and more or
less WrOngfully accused - many for
some debauched, cunning corruptors of
men = representative Of each of these
classes are found congregsted in our
jails. And to perfect the wrong, they
are crowded often into an ill-ventila-
ted, dirty, dark prison, where the whole
being, physical, mental, and moral, is
soon fitted to receive all 'uncleanliness
quarters and depraved associates, little
can be added to hasten the perfection
| of the student in crime. And these
schools of crime are to-day found in
| every county in the State. sustained
under form of law and at the expense
/ of the public. In our jail system ling
| ers more barbarism than in all of our
State institutions together. As to the
corrupt Influences of our common con-
! gregatiDg Jail system, all intelligent
| observers agree. The influences of our
| jails are too wide spread to allow the
subject to be put aside as insignificant.
| During the past year, without doubt,
! eight thousand persons were confined
| in the jails of Ohio, and there are to-
day, probably seven hundred persons
congregated in these Beminaries of
crime.
The sad condition of things des-
cribed in general above is thus set
forth in detail Allen county the jail
of this county is the basement Of the
Court House. 1t is insuficiently sup
piled with light and air, and quite fnse-
cure. Grand juries have condemned it
for fifteen years past. Butler county
| Jail has no ventilaJ1Ou and very little
light. Guernsey county jail is utterly
/ incompatible with comfort. Harrison
county Jail is insecure, poorly ventila-
| ted, and full of offensive odOrs from
| the privY. Huron county Jail is not
well lighted, is imperfectly ventilated,
and has no drainage. Jefferson county
| jail is damp, dark, and otherwise horri-
| BILE in all its features. Lake county
! Jail is quite contracted in size and ar
| rangement, and without ventilation.
In Lucas county jail, highWaymen,
/ pickpockets, burglars, and boys con-
| fined for petty offenses, are herded to-
! gether. Meigs county Jail is miserably
| dark and wholly without ventilation.
Putnam county jail is so bad that the
| Com nissionerS say that had some in
spiration of evil genius seized 1pon one
/ to plan building against light, air and
! general comfort, it is doubtful if any
\ thing better could be conceived. Trum-
/ bull county Jail is utterly, undescriba-
bly, mean, Tuscarawas county Jail is
small, unsafe, poorly lighted and with
out ventilation. Washington County
! is quite dark, poorly ventilated and
/ miserRbly kept. In the hall of the Jail,
when visited by the Board, were six
I nr,fk II.
an old convict, and another lad who
! had run away from the Reform School.
! The history of the others was not
known.
In the Allen County Infirmary a sui
cldally disposed woman was chained
| by her leg to an iron rod; another fe
male maniac was confined in a close
1 and dark room, where she sat crouch
/ ing upon the floor, with the remnant Of
| a calico dress thrown over her naked
body. Her long hair was matted and
| filthy, the room was without furniture
and very dirty. In the Butler County
Infirmary, a dark, damp, cheerless
basement, filthy insane persons were
in most distressing condition. The OnIv
apology was, that it was the best that
could be done whereas, upper apart
ments in the same building could have
been used with little additional trout BILE;
in the Geauga County Indrmary ne
| glect is everywhere apparent, with
filth, confusion, and indescribable
wretchedness in the third story of the
Guernsey County Infirmary were found
six insane persons locked separately in
cells, the dimensions of which were six
by eight feet. Some oftheIn were h0r-
rfbly filthy, and the accumulation OF
exerement, in a part of them, could not
Il have occurred in less than a weeks
time; of the Hamilton County Infirm-
arv. il is said that it would not be lust
. I To Z rnf n q o1I Il
4 den, Vermin-infested, tumble-down
Il houses now occupied, because it is pro-
posed to remove soon to other and bet
ter buildings. The Jefferson County
Infirmary is cold and wet; seven en-
tirely naked insane persons, whose Only y
bedding was one blanket each, being
found there, without fire to warm them;
in the Lucas County Infirmary. the in
sane, epileptic, and idiotic are kept in
| discriminatory as to age, sex or condi-
; ton. In regard to one fearfully dirty
insane woman, who was lefi to the care
Z OF an old male pauper, the latter said,
when asked why her clothing and bed
; ding were in SO shocking state: eye
may well say that, but ye little know
the throubles I have wild Mary every
time change her shimmy." In the
Summit County Infirmary, there was
: found an insane man, whose hip and
: knee joints were stiffened (anchylosis.
; He was entirely naked, and performed
, iocOmOt1on by sliding around on his
: posteriOr with the aid of his hands. In
/ another pen were four females, three in,
! sane, and the other an idiot; in Trum
bull County Inirmary was confined {
$ raging madman, whose bodily condi
tion may be imagined when 1t is men
4 toned that he had literally plastered ol
: painted the walls with his own excre
: ment. Occasionally he had been made
$ to 60 10 a neighbOring creek and wasl
I himself, and on refusing to do so on on,
occasion had been soundly " trounced. ,
!, The Wood County Infirmary is in
:, Wretched condition.
Quite a number of our jails have beer
= repeatedly condemned by grand juris
4 and declared nuisances, unfit for tn
d confinement Of human beings and We
!, the counties, year after year, refuse t,
: allow their commissioners to levy a ia,
r sufficient to erect a better one. In som
counties this inhumanity has continues
e too long. The Board feels compelled T.
- call special attention to this subject
Z and to recommend that the necessar.
legislation TO correct this evil be adopt
n ed.
ns1Tanav,nA L. Aha ,,s,AY..,. .