Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-01-12

"N"hN+ +fSSN w iNN - aHOLuNI tOi
n trolling reason is not to be omi
h ted. BY the recent revaluation &
l. real estate the total basis Of taxf
e ton for the State at large wi
n probably be Increased almost fort
y per cent, and in many Of the cite
J. the Increase will be nearly on.
n hundred per cent. This renders
s impemtively necessary to revise tn
/ present rates, SO as to prevent th,
e COLLECTION and expenditure Of sumt
much greater than the public goot
= demapds
THE PENITENTIARY.
Under prudent and efficient man
agement the earnings Of the Peni
t ntiary continue to exceed its ex
, penses, and, at the same time, graft.
flying progress has been made in
improving the condition and treat.
mentof the prisoners. The hate
ful and degrading uniform of past
years is disappearing; increased
means of education, secular and re-
ligiots, are afforded, and the Off
GERS of the institution exhibit an
earnest desire to employ every in
strHmentality authorized by exis-
ting laws to restore its inmates to
society improved in habits, capacity
and character
While much has been done in our
State during the last twenty five
years for the improvement of pris-
on discipline, it is not to be de-
MED that much more yet remains
unaccompllshed.
Assuming that the time has not
arrived to attempt radical change
of our prison discipline, the fol-
lowing practical suggestions, con
sistent with the present system,
are offered for your consideration:
A convict is now allowed deduc-
ton from the period Of his SEN
tence as q reward for good behav-
Tor; the power to extend the peri.
cd of the sentence as a punish
ment for bad conduct would also,
under proper regulations, exercise
wholesome influence in the disoi-
pline of the prison.
CLASSIFICATION.
The Importance of classification
among convicts is now universally
admitted For economical or other
reasons the establishment of an
intermediate prison will perhaps be
deemed inexpedient at this time
1t is believed, however, that by
employing convict labor the addi-
tional buildings and Improvements
required for a satisfactory classifi-
cation, can Re erected on the
ground adjoining the old prison,
recently purchased and now in
closed, at small expense compared
with the cost Of a new prison
This plan, it is hoped, will receive
your careful consideration.
DISCHARGED CoNvIcTs.
1t is also recommended that the
Board of State Charities be EN-
powered to aid discharged convicts
to obtain honest employment, All
annual appropriation Of small
sum for this purpose, in the course
of a few years, would probably
save a large number, who, without
such help, would again return to
criminal course of life.
COUNTY JAILs.
The most defective part of our
present prison system is probably
our County Jails. 1t is supposed |
about 5000 persons pass through
cur County Jails each year. They
are generally persons charged with
crimes and awaiting trial. But lu.
natics and petty offenders, in con-
siderable numbers are also confined
in these places. The young and
the old, the innocent and the guilty,
hardened offenders and beginners
in crime, are commonly mingled
together in the jails, under few re-
straints, without useful occupation,
and with abundant leisure, and
to learn wickedness.--
Plans of jaiIs, not too expensive,
have been furnished by the Board
Of State Charities, which provide
for the absolute separation of the
prisoners. 1t is recommended that
the law shall require all jailS to be
so constructed as to entirely pre-
vent this promiscuous and danger
Gus intercourse.
Your attention is particularly
called to the recommendation of
he Board of State Charities, that
he proper authorities Of all of the
titles of the State should be re-
luired to make full reports, annu- {
lily, to the Legislature, through =
he Governor, of the statistic of i
,ice and crime, and of the work of q
be Police Department in such cit i
es. And also to the suggestion q
hat Prosecuting Attorneys should r
lot be allowed to enter a nolle Il
,rosequi in any case of an indict- u
nent for a crime punishable by i'm a
risonmcnt in the Penitentiary or h
v death, without the written ap-
roval of the Attorney General a
rst given upon a written report to il
i'm Of the facts. a
The importance of this is sufii- il
iently shown by the fact that in
500 the number OF cases in which
~ 49,, sol 80 9,