The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-04-29
THE ILLINOIS STATE PRISON.
a NoIln,ary Visit to that Institution

in the great prison up at joliet. II mus
have been because Major Taylor, one Of the
Commissioners Of the institution, TO whom
We have been known many years, believed
that our presence there would produce u
good moral effect upon its inmates.
AT all events the invitation was accepted
the visit made, and Il most enjoyable expert
encc had 1t could not have resulted ether
wise than pleasantly, with those excellent
gentlemen, X. W. McLaughrey, the Warden
of the Prison, and Major W. NJ. Taylor, Pres
dent of the Board of Commissioners, and the
accomplished and efficient matron, Mrs. Jud
son, all eIerting themselves 10 that end.
The number of prisoners confined in the
institution on Sunday was 1902, of whom lC
were women This is u larger number than
had ever before been within its walls at one
time. And yet, SO perfect is the system OF
management followed by the officers in con.
troll, that the closest scrutiny fails to dsCov.
er the least evidence of mutinous scheming
by the convicts, of neglect by those in charge
of them, of i'll treatment, OF extravaganza or
of any other OF the many varieties of crook.
edness so often reCklessly charged upon this
institution. All vestige of the Objectionable
means Of punishment for infractIon Of the
rules, reSorted to in the past, has disappear,
ed, There can be no longer any possible
charge of lnhumanity. The convicts them.
selves freely admit that so long as they con.
duct themselves properly they are treated in
every way Aulnanely and justly, and they
find no fault with any official connected with
the prison
A remarkable fact connected with the pres.
ent management Of this great state insttu.
ton is the excellent sanitary condition of its
inmates. Out Of fifteen hundred convicts the
average number in the hospital will not ex.
coed three or four. Can as much be said for
any other community containing as great a
population The secret Of this is to be found
IN the regularity with which these convicts
sleep, eat and labor, and the impossibility of
INDUCING habits o! intemperance
At present this city of criminals is chiefly
employed in manufacturing boots and shoes,
cOoperage, harness, chairs, the various arti.
ticles sold by the Ohio Butt Company, and
in stone,cu,ting and marble. working.
The women make the under-clothing worn
by the men, and the paper boxes used by the
Ohio Butt CO. in which to pack the smaller
articles manufactured by that company.
! In passing through the various shops the
/ q q m prp Sat bu ha ayiIapt par mi
industry shown by the convcts OF course
it is all enforced, but that the authorities
should lave SO well succeeded in enforcing
it, is matter OF surprise TO all who know
anything of the character Of the people with
whom they have to deal.
Until recently Il considerable number of
the convicts have been employed in making
cigars, but the contractors by whom their la.
Dor was hired having suspended and given
up their contract, these men, or large por.
ton of them, are without employment.
The hard times" have had their effect
upon the interests of the Penitentiary as well
as upon the other interests of the country,
and have greatly added to the difficulty of
making the institution selfsustaning The
Warden and Commissioners are, however,
DONG all in their power to avoid the lnffic.
ton of any loss upon the state, and if they do
not succeed we do not believe /, will be their
fault.
Only short time ago a general reduction
of expenses in various departments was
made, beyond which it does not seem posi-.
bic for them 10 go without endaDgcring the
interests OF the prison and state.
The matron, who has whole charge of the
female conyicts, and is without an assistant
or even guard to protect her from these dan.
gerous women, has gracefully submitted to
reduction of one quarter from salary that
was never as large as her trying duties de-
served. All or nearly all the other officials
and employees have been materially "cut
down"
The female prisoners occupy the fourth
floor OF the main building, entirely removed
from the men, and not one OF them ever de. |
scends 10 either Of the floors below from the ,
day she enters the prison until the expiration |
VI lCI lClm
On being received every male prisoner is !
closely shaved, has his hair cut short, is
made TO battle and to don the hated suit of |
stripes, after which he is put 10 work Six
weeks before leaving the prison he Is allow
ed TO again commence the growth of his
beard
Female convicts are permitted TO wear
their hair as they choose, but throughout
terms are compelled TO dress in suit of
checked gingham or calico, and to keep them.
selves and their apartments scrupulously
clean. The latter requirement, the Ma,ron
tells us, is, of all others, the most difficult TO
enforce, so ayerse are most of these creatures
to cleanliness, probably because it is akin
10 godiness."
Every department of the prison, from the
kitchen 10 the chapel, is kept clean and pure, ,
,ho C,,l ,,se1 iS of tho host and mol, 81 ]