Litchfield enquirer., 1875-06-10
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AMNvAL REpoRTs.
-7I-- '. 1'Tl FIIIlL .IlIfII T -fatfffU tf oHffT rNERRIATEs! AND THE TRAMP NUIsAEcE,
Report sos&lI0 Committed on the Pe-
 nal Treatment of In0bfiates and r Tramps. A state WorkiIouse and
 ReformatorY InstTtution PFOposed.

s TraEnps. A state Workhcuse and ReformatorY InstTtution Proposed. N Messrs. B. N. Comings, Dr. George B. l Hawley, Gurdon W. Russell, Judges LO-a ren F. Waldo and Charles H. Briscoe, constituting committee originally ap- pointed at the session of the legislature
 in May, 1873, to report on the necessity
 and expediency of an inebriate asylum,I
 and in 1874 directed to continue their la-
 bors. have presented to the legislature
 very important report on the subject of
 the penal treatment of inebriates and va
 grants. fg .9 yfae szn ss.n5li
 On the subject of inebriates the com
 mittee reports: 7.i s,. Further investigation has confirmed
 our opinion in the necessity and wisdom of providing an institution for the special
 treatment of persons who are more or less
 diseased from excessive indulgence in al- coholic stimulants, opium and other nar- cotics. Medical men and others. who
 have given this subject special attenti0nS l with great unanimity arrive at the conclu- | sion that such institution as the contern-
 plated 'Reformatory Home is imperative
 ly needed in this commonwealth. 1aa .Ftnu,s
 In the course of their investigation of
 the vagrant question, the committee reach oU t40 COuCAuS1Ou budG tuO JdI1 SySgcIu III Connecticut is sadly deficient Tn New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford the iails ,, are handsome buildings. comfortable and
 we'll heated. In Hartford, the new jail,
 in less than a year after fts completion, | fails to accommodate all the prisoners. ag OnSthe occasion of their visit the commit tee found forty eight prisoners 'fsitting in
 idleness, on long benches, with comfofta- i' ble backs;" and remark that sEa condition r of idleness could hardly be made more i agreeable and inviting than in the, well | warmed apartments of this institution. It
 is doubtful whether the winter quarters of a majority of the tax payers Of this conn |. monwealth are as we'll adapted to comfort pl and health as the cells and workrooms. of this institution. We have reason to be- ! lieYe that individuals have been led tothe 1commission of petty offencesifor the sake of securing the physical comforts of the l jails for the winter
 Throughout the state, during the year ending March 31, 1875, 4, AS prisoners have been committed costing the statefor To. board &c., $l54, AT, and with the excep- ton of the employment Of a few of the persons in some of the jailS, these prison 'C CTS have been supported in atjsolutersidle- ness. On the other hand the state prisons ,. make clear gain of g, 712 for the same |, period. '- '' A similar income from thesiaiIs should sl have made difference to | tine statemof of eighty-tw thousand nine hundred and, i thirty-eight dollars, 8 sum sufficient to i, have constructed work house for an hun dred persons. .sBf
 In point of economy, the lpresenbdjaib system Is enormously expensive, and is be- A coming more and more So every year, with
 the rapid increase of crime. But the
 want of economy is netits greatest defect s' likeness notsonIy engenderS evil propen- < sites and fosters vicious desires. but it positively incapacitates for labor, and the prisoner is made happier and better man by labor, while at the same time contrib uting to his support. s.-s.,ts liEE~
 "But there is a difficulty. Contractors dislike to employ prisoners in iails, for the reason that the labor cannot be made profitable. For this same reason, the aTl- thorities controlling the jail cahnot suc- cesefullY introduce labor, on their own ac- count. Manufacturing in jails is also diff ficult, if not impracticable, because ofthe instability of the management. The jail or is the appointee of the sheriff, who is elected every three years, and has no cer- tain term of office, and tho county com missioners are not permanent officers. The entire management is thus under the ca- price of political influences, and, so far as our knowledge extends, no penal institu- ton thus situated has developed a'success- full system of labor. We regard our iails, . however, as we'll adapted to the purpose for which they were originally designed, and recommend no changes. They can- not be dispensed with. As places of de- tention for persons bound over for trial, or for temporary punishment, we heartily commend the jails of this state; but the common jail is not suitable institution for persons committed for minor off, fences"
 'In the opinion of your committee, some general law should be adopted, to |. take care of and, if possible. reform this large class of criminals, without reference to the minor offences of which they may be guilty. Old offenders should be com mitted for a longer period than those guilty of first or second offences, and the length of the period should be determined by the persistency with which the offender returns to his besetting vice." di tr '.
 The present system of short commit ments and frequent discharges fails in protecting society and reforming the crim- inal. both of which are important objects to be sought. 8. nj .a tnodt.r .s.vls.
 The committee treats of the subject of ''tramps" at considerable length, and says: g -.g ssF ,9.. 1sls0sT vt4H sfh
 "Our Investigations have led us to the conclusion that inasmuch as our present jails do not afford accommodations for the present number of prisoners, and wholly fail as reformatory institutions, and are not adapted to large. class of prisoners known as vagrants, inebriates, and repeaters, the true policy of the state is to organize work-house establishment. where such persons can be subjected to n0v,o~H11o0r,x1 1oINn n1 .Te porting. Your committee do not feel ati- thorized to report location, plans, or esti. 8 mates, for such an institutions We re- commend, therefore, as first step toward s establishing work-hotse the appoint ment of permanent board of directors by' the present legislature, who shall be .ar- f thorized to investigate the subject thor. oughly and report to the next Legislature q plan of the institution, with estimat9s, $. and designs of building, and the rules and regulations which shall govern it.
 The committee suggests that the work house should be so located that the in. mates could be employed in brick-making, stone breaking, or in some other way 60 that they can be obliged to be partially if not wholly self supporting. They are al- so of the opinion that indoor employment can be provided. and that it can be better controlled by the superintendent of the workhouse than by the contract system.
 In conclusion the committee present for the consideration of the legislature drafts applying respectively to the eestablishment7 of a workhouse, to the treatment of ..inebri- ates, and to the treatment of trampss The first bill provides for board of five direc tors to be nominated by the governor, who shall recommend to the next legislature Q proper location for workhouse, with es- inmates of cost, etc. The bill concerning inebriates provides that every person