Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-10-24

NCllOn a. DOuI NIsuotL snail Olctdtc.
The biennial report of the directors
and superintendent OF the state pris-
on, rs to its condition and manage
ment show the financial affairs of the
prison in good condition; and in this
respect there seems TO be n great inn
provement over that of former years.
At the last session of the legislature,
on recommendation of the officers
of the prison, an act was passed
directing the directors to con-
struct chapel in one of the build
ings and make such alterations and
repairs of the old prison as we're nee
essary for the better accommodation
of the female convicts therein coniin-
ed and for these purposes they were
authorize to appropriate so much Of
the surplus earnings of the prison as
was necessary, not exceeding $4,000.
5he reports shew that the chapel has
been constructed accordingly, and
that the other repairs have not been
made on account of the insufficiency
of the appropriation, and those re-
pairs are again represented rs being
much needed for the convenience and
comfort of the female prisoners con-
fined there. l recommend that the
necessary appropriation be made for
that purpose. call your attention
to the remarks of the directors in
their report in relation to "the impro.
priety of sentencing culprits for short
terms on small ofenses to such an iR-
stitution as this" The main pur-
pose of punishment is to prevent
crime and reform the criminal. In or.
der to accomplish this purpose, GRIM
inal laws must be punitory, but at the
same time they ought to be reforma-
tory as far as practicable. There
are minor offenses for which the pun
ishmcht prescribed is th. alternative,
fine or Imprisonment in the county
Jail, or in the state prison, in the dis
erection of the court, depending on
the circumstances of the partcula :
case. In some of these cases the
milder punishment of fine or impris-
onment in a county Jail, proper for
the purp ose, would be sufficient, and
answer all the purposes of punish
ment, and be much more likely TO re-
form the offender than the fixing on
him the infamy that attaches to q
state prison convict.
But our jails are places Of deten-
ton of criminals of all grades and
classes awaiting trial, and usually af-
fording no means of separation of
prisoners the most abandoned and
hardened criminals being turned in
with those whose off3nsc Is of the
lowest grade-commttcd, perhaps,
more from weakness than depravity-
thus exposing the latter to the deprav-
ing influences of such associations.
Such is generally the condition Of our
jails that sentence 10 Imprisonment
in them IS, practically, q senteNce to
idleness in a school of vice. If q
fine is imposed, the consequence is
often, from the poverty of the offend
er, the same, as it results in imprison-
ment till released by pardon. The
same mischief also extends to cases
of offenders imprisoned III the county
Jail for the most trhng otfenses. Our
jails are defective as a place OF pun
ishme Mt, in not atfording any means
Of employment to the prisoners. The
very idleness to which they are con
delnned tends to vice and crime,
while labor would be reforlnatory in
its Influence. 1t probably would not
lie practi cable, at least not within the
limit Of reasonable expense, to con
vert all our county jails into work
houses, but they should be 50 con-
structed as to prevent the indiscrim-
mate intercourse of prisoners Of ev-
cry grade.
But | have long been Of tile opinion
that work house, to which prisoners
from different parts Of the State, con-
victed Of certain minor otfenses might
under limited discretion in courts
Of justice as to the place of punishment
he sentenced, would he of public ben.
eft, and supply an existing defect il
the means of the suppression Of the
crime and the punishment of criminals
; Possibly the conversion of some one
county Jail into such work-houst
might subserve this purpose. l thlnt
the subject is worry of your consid
Grafton.
The other biennial reports, which
have not had the opportunity of ex
aiming, will be before you for you
i. consideration.
!, ! trust that in the performance o
the various duties devolving on you
D both in investigating the past an,
b providing for the future, that tru
public economy will be observed
which neither transcends, nor fails t.
supply the Legitimate necessities c
u the State, and which will limit th
o session to the time necessary to d
n deliberately and we'll what the publ
!. good requires to be done.
AsAHEL PECK.
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
q MONTPELIER, Oct. s, 1874.
The Montreal express train t
Boston, by the way of the Soutbeas