The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-08-03
KEN OSHA COUNTY JAIL AND IT'S
INMATES.

And the first thing observable was the
purity of the air as contrasted with what
it was this time last year. The Jail be
ing in the basement of the Court House
if the air of the jail becomes very impure
1t communicates some Of its impurity to
the atmosphere throughout the Court
House. This time last year it was not
necessary to go into the jail to become
aware Of its ofensiveness. One was made
aware Of it any place within the Court
House, and sometimes on the outside Of
it and some distance from it. Now the
air is pure within the Court House and
not bad within the Jail. This difference
does not depend alone upon the differ
cnce in the temperature OF the two sum-
lners. Nor does it depend upon the Off
ference Of the inmates then and now. 1t
depends mainly upon the difference in
the attention and care that is given to
keep the inmates of the Jail and the jail
and its appurtenances and surroundings
clean and free from impurities. When
Sheriff Lucas first took charge of the
jail he went to work with water ana soap
and muscular strength, guided by intelli
gence; till he brought the. jail and its in
mates into a state Of cleanliness and pur-
ity endurable. And by the continued
use of the same means as occasion re-
CURED, he has kept the jail and its In
mates endurably clean and free from i'm
purity.
There are some ten or twelve occupants
Of the Jail. Of these five are insane, and
three of the FIVE are women. One Of
these ohree was returned from the Insane
Hospital al Madison about a month ago
as incurabie. Another insane woman re-
turned from the Hospital to the Jail at
the same time as incurable, was taken
home about week ago.
The jail is very unsuitable place for
the insane, even though they may be in
durable. Without ability to provide for
and take care Of themselves they should
be provided for and taken care Of by
others. And that provision and care
should b e dictated by an enlightened
humanity. No one would want a friend
bereft Of reason incarcerated in a county
Jail. The State, actuated by humanity
enlig htened by science, has made and is
making provision for the care of the in
sane. But that provision is not yet
adequate to the accommodation of the
number needing care. When the Hospital
at Madison is enlarged and the new Hos
pital at Oshkosh is opened for the recep-
ton of the insane, some now in jails may
find admission into those Hospitals But
they are intended mainly for the durable
and not for. the incurable. Still if they
do their work we'll the number Of the in
durable will not increase proportionally
with the number Of the insane. When
the Hospitals are completed, should they
prove inadequate to accommodate the in
durable as we'll as She durable insane, it
will remain for the State to provide for
the incurabIe In the meantime the
friends of the insane, the counties and
the State must do the best they can I'M
der the circumstances. Much has been
done within the last fifty years for the
ameiicration of the condition of the in
sane. Much remains yet to be DONE And
let us hope it will be done speedily.
1t has been said to be but step from
the sublime to the ridiculous. 1t is but
a step-and sometimes but very small
step-from sanity to insanity There is
a difference between the sane and the in.
sane in the jails. But the difference as
to sanity and insanity is not always very
perceptible. In one respect the insane
have the advantage. Jails, as usually
conducted, being nurseries of vice and
crime, the lnsane-especially the incura-
Bile insane-are less schooled in vice and
crime Prison Reform is much needed
and is justly being loudly demanded
The whole prison system heretofore has
been founded in error-that of punish
ment for punishment, and not for reform
When Natures Laws are rightly under.
stood, we fnd,when brought into collision
with law, that the law is too strong fol
us, and the punishment we receive is
designed for our instruction and welfare
SO it should be in prison discipline. The