Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-01-31
The Penal and RcformatorJ Institutions OF Yer
mont.

The Penal and RefOrmatorJ Institutions OF YER
mont.
At the National Prison Congress, al Bal
timore. Nd, a report was presented On the
Penal and Relornatory institutions of YER
mont, BY Rev. Franklin Butler of Windsor,
Chaplain Of the State Prison. Mr. Butler
sc drew it very mild" on the subject Of our
county iails. though hi, report admits that
therein our State has nothing whereof TO
boast Had he given q fall and accurate
representation Of the condition OF most OF
the jail- and the practices which prevail
therein, we >a~pe.; he would have found it
difficult to maintain that Vermont has eyes
TO see, or heart to remedy, the deficiencies
Of her jail system.
The penal and reformatory institutions Of
Vermont are specifically but three, viz. /.
The State Prison at Windsor IL. The
County Jai's. H. The State Reform School,
at Waterbury
To these may be added. as institutions
bearing directly upon the prevention Of
crime, ". The Home for Destitute Children
at Burlington Y. Other EeemoSynary
Institutions Tor the young.
l. The first and only Prison in Vermont
was completed and occupied, at Windsor
in 1909 Il now consists Of three buildings
that constitute one side ID plot of ground
Is BY y rods square, around which are
erected walls of granite and brick twenty
feet in height ana four feet in thickness at
the base. Inside of the walls, workshops
and other necessary buildings are construct
ID IH.e- 80 .4aIN- in, ri..~l
are built in the new brick structure for the
Use Of inmates From lo0s to lo72, twenty
one hundred and one persons have been com
mitted, averaging little more ttan thirty-
three per year. The average term OF sen
tence l. little over three years. The par
dons number PA. and the escapes 26-leSs
than one in two years. The deaths amount
to Sl-being l p per year. The number
Of inmates on July lst. l772, was %, of
which four were females
The government Of the institution j. vest
ed in a Board Of three Directors and a 81
perintendent, each chosen biennially by the
Legislature. The associate system of disci-
pline l. practised The labor Is contracted
Tor work on shoes, at 20 cents per day, and
the receipts exceeded the expenditures in
ls72, by S3,654.3l.
The discipline is in special charge of the
keeper, solitary confinement in the dark cell
being the chief punishment for offences. A
Communication law for good behavior l.
an Indictment TO good conduct. The
chaplain performs the usual duties of pas
tor. \ library of about five hundred vol
umes Is provided. The most common crimes
are larceny, burglary and assaults and the
causes bad early influences, ignorance, idle
ness, and the use Of intoxicating drinks
The Governor has power 10 pardon in all
cases except sentences NJ death lie has no
authority 10 commute. He may reprieye
until the Legislature meets. There Is no
provision for aiding c0nyicts at their dis
charge. They receive decent suit OF clothes
and small sum of money from the State.
and must then shirk for themselves. \
chapel for religious worship, and some re
pairs Of the old prison for female convicts,
with larger additions to the library, are pro-
iected