Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-03-10
From the Cincinnati Gazette. ]
The Prison Pens OF Ohio.

1t is the merit of Christian civiliZa-
ton that in the most fiourishing OF
the heathen States of antiquity hos
pitals were unknown, and prisons
were places for infiicting vengeance on
offenders against the law, and not at
all for his discipline and improvement.
The criminal deserves punishment, no
doubt; but society acts for its own
best interests, as well as for his bene-
fit, in providing that the prison shall
be indeed penitentiary-a place for
reform.
1t is only within the last hundred
wears that this truth has been accepted,
and prison discipline recognized as a
branch of social science The i'm
proyements since Howard's time have
been greater than in many centuries
previous, but there is still abundant
room for improvement. AS evidence
of this we shall not refer to the prisons
of Europe, or of the less enlightened
States of our own country, but cOnfine
ourselves to Ohio, deriving our facts
from the Annual Report of the Board
of State Charities for 1858, which has
lust been laid before the Legislature.
The report says:
J ''It is a startling and terrible propo-
sition, 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
1 e.. IL old
offenders, some debauehed, cunning
corrupters of men-representatives OF
each of these classes are found con-
gregated in our jails. And 10 perfect
Z the wrong, they are crowded often
into an iil-ventilated, dirty, dark
prison, where the whole being, physi-
cal, mental and moral, is soon fitted to
receive all "uneleanness with greedi-
ness.u With bad air, vile 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
I form of law and at the expense of the
public. In our Jail system fingers
more barbarism than in all of our 9TH
er State institutions together. As tc
{ the eorrupting influences of our COM
mon congregating Jail system, all in
I telligent observers agree. The intiu-
ences 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 5000
I persons were confined in the jailS OF
/ Ohio, and there are to-day, probably,
seven hundred GOO persons eongre-
gated in these seminaries of crime" "
The sad condition of things Ge-
! scribed in general above is thus set
: forth in detail: Allen county-the
I iail of this county is in the basement
( of the Court House. 1t is insufficient
| " supplied with light and air, and
I quite insecure. Grand Juries have
condemned it for fifteen years past
I Butler County Jail has no ventilation
| and very little light. Guernsey COun-
I ty Jail is utterly incompatible with
comfort. Harrison County Jail is in
secure, poorly ventilated, and full OF
offensive odors from the privy. Huron
/ County Jail is not well lighted, is i'm
{ perfectly ventilated, and has no drain
l age. Jefferson County Jail is damp,
I dark, and otherwise horrible in all its
features. Lake County Jail is quite
/ contracted in size and arrangement,
and without ventilation. In Lucas
/ County Jail, highwaymen, pickpoek-
( cts, burglars and boys confined fol-
/ petty offenses, are herded together
| Meigs County Jail is miserably dark
and wholly without ventilation. Put
nam County Jail is so bad that the
I Commissioners say that had some in.
spiration of evil genius seized upon
one to plan a building against light
air and general comfort, it Is doubtful
/ if anything better could be conceived
Trumbun County Jail is utterly, in
describably mean. Tuscarawss COun
ty Jail is small, unsafe, poorly hghteC