Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-01-22
MAINE STATE PRISON.
Reports of Warden. IRspeetOrs and other
Ohioors-Interesting Stats lies ana s"g-
gesti0ns.


Hon. w. W. Rice, the excellent and expeil-
enced Warden of the Maine State Prison, has pre-
pared his annual report 1t shows that good Or
der has been maintained among the inmates ofthe
prison the past year, without resortiny to any Sc
we're measures in matters of discipline, in order to
control them. Good he alth has prevailed, with
the exception of few chronic cases. The num-
Der of convicts has been materially increased b.
There have been 6j com II tilted during the year,
making the present um Der lil, against las at the
| close of last year.
OF the 65 committed during the year, there
were sent from Cumberland county, 25 York
| county, IL Waldo county. 8, Washington county,
| s; Androscoggin county, 8; tenobscot county, 8;
Hancock county, 8; Knox county, 2; kennebec
county, 2; Oxford county, | Ssgsdahoc county,
| / |, Piscstaquis county. Franklin county, | l.
| S. Court 2.
Period Of sentence OF those committed 1876;
one year, | (; two years, and over one, 20; three
years. and over two, l5 four years, and over
three, Ii five years, 8; six years, seven years,
3; eight years, ten years, 3; fifteen years, ;
| life, g.
Crimes of those committed in 1876 larceny, 80
robbery, I assault and battery, q forgery, 4
breaking and entering, 3 piracy, 2 rape, 2 man
slaughter, perjury, l +; attempt 10 murder, |;
obstructipg railroad | receiving stolen goods,
assault with attempt to rob, incest, |; assault
with intent to Kill, J..
Owing to the depression of bu, mess Throughout
the country, the sales of the manufactures OF the
prison, consisting of carriages, harnesses, boots
and shoes, have been made with unusual d. iii
Guilty and prices rablv less than hitherto
amounting IN all to but So j33 "a. The expense
| Of supporting the prison, including salaries,
amounts to S2977349, lie the profits of the in
come departments have been but Sl9, $50 80, show
| ing deficiency of $40. ll4l6 A large proper
ton of this deficiency, however,is made up of the
shrinkage in the appraisal Of the stock on hand
| from what 1t was valued last year.
| Many and radical improvements have been made
on the prison at an expense of only ~ ,196 %.
The old wing has been lined with brick, and the
building otherwise repaired; the harness sho p has
| been extended 50 feet, and Improvements made
| on the dwelling houses and other buildings
| But provision must be made for 4 larger num-
Der Of convcts than can be confined there now.
Ibe prison i'll accom- date but $50 at the most,
and not that number with safety, vet in all prob
ability there will be at least 200 convcts here.
| and under sentence at the close of the
| coming year. The warden recommends the eX-
tension OF the western " ing OF the prison. 60 feet
| which would make room for 81 additional cells,
aud weuld provide space for work cells and school
room. This would give room al.o 10 coIfiIe
| persons who fegn insanity. There are now six
convcts who insane. aud who arc harmless.
| There are now confined In the thirteen county
jas in this state, 3lj persons, and that is prob
ably about the average for the year. The ccst
| to the several counties, for board, Clothing and
fuel for these 3l5 persons. amounts TO about SIS
| 80. The cost of arrests, detention and convic-
| ton of the 60 sentenced to State Prison during
! the past year, would average 500 per man, and
| for The 25U sentenced 70 Jail. 500 each: making
| the whole cost for arrest and conviction of the
3l5 inmates OF ais amount 10 So, 900. To which
add cost for support as above, SIS 900 and have
a total cost TO the counties, S96 800. Then add
/ the deficiency in supporting the State prison
| Si0,ll4.l6 and we fnd the large sum Of Sl07-
0l4.l6 has been paid directly during the year for
| the support of the criminal population of the
State. The indirect cost of crime to the people of
| the State would swell this large amount mater
| tally.
| How to check this increase of our criminal pop
ulation, is indeed agrave question. Possibly it
/ may be wise 10 revise our criminal laws so as 10
| have them clearly define what acts prohibited
| by law, and what penalties shall follow its vio-
| aion.
| Its noticeable that most of those who come to
prison have already served one or more terms in
| jail and many If not most OF those sentenced to
Jails are "repeaters" while Of those discharged
| from the State Prison only about six per cent ever
| return. These facts seem TO show that short SEN
fences have failed to reform the offender, even if
| he has not been made positively more criminally
inclined thereby. Inthe judgment of the Warden
all sentences 10 the county Jail should include la
| bor aud for a crime com United by any person af-
| ter having served sentence in jail, the penalty
should be a sentence to the State Prison.
| 1ne William W llsOD, Dulus Iflnce,
| and A. j. Billings, report that the amount OF
work performed in the prison the past year equals
that OF any previous year. Taking all crcums Ia :
ces into account, tue Inspectors are entirely sat
| sted with the results of the year. The estimates
| expenses of the prison for the year ending Nov.
| 30Ih, 1877, S3O,lj0; estimated earnings So
| 900; deficit $3.50. The buildings connected
| with the prison are now IN excellent condition
| the conduct Of the prisoners has been arkably
good, large propolion conducting themselves in
such manner as to entitle them to the full deduc-
| ton from the tenn OF their sentences provided by
statute Fully recognizing the fact tn at the prison
| is penal iustitutiOn-that the persons confined
within its walls have bee sentenced to hard labor
| as a punishment for their crmes--the Inspectors
| are, al the same time, of the opinion that their
| treatment should be characterized by no greater
degree OF severity than tn cir condition necessarily
| requires. Such course of treatment should be
adopted, if possible, W i'll tend to improve rather
| than further degrade them. The managers, in
their conduct of affairs, have fully recognized
| these facts, and put these ideas into practice.
| The jals in the counties of Androscoggin, Cum
| berland, Kennebec, Lincoln and Penobscot, have
| workshops connected with them. They are in
| tended to accommodate the men under sentence
| from the remaining counties in the State. The
prisoners in the ais at Auburn, Augusta, Bangor
and Portland, have been at work on the counties
| account, and the Jail at Wiscasset shares with
the contractors. Quite large amount of work
| has been done in each of these jails, and some
which the reports Of the ailers do not Indicate.
The jail at Alfred is il good condition, and has
been well kept. The Jail at Belfast is either inse-
cure, the jaer has not been sufficiently Wig j.
| LIANT for there have been eight escapes during the
| year. The jail in Elsw nth is not IN good condi-
| ton, but may be made secure at moderate ex-
pense. The jails at Pennington, Houlton, Ma
| chias, NorridgewoCk and Paris. are in fair condi-
| ton.
ID. j. Starrett, the Instructor, reports that two
hours each evening and all of the sabbath, is de-
| voted to his specific work. The exchange of Ii
brsry books, reading and writing letters and con-
yersation appropriate to the dav, is the special
work for the Sabbath. The progress of the schol-
| airs has been good. and considering the time de-
| voted TO each, will compare iavorably with that of
| scholars in outside schools. There are now under
| instruction forty-three who could not write when
| they came, and the most of whom can now write
| letters to their friends. The remaining thirty
of the seventy-iye could write, but many of them
we're very deficient in what would be termed a
| good common school education; now many of
them can perform quite difficult problems and all
understand the six principles of arithmetic. But
if this work is to be continued for the benefit of
| this unfortunate class, some provision should be
made for tle purchase of books, and school
| room.
| The PLY sician DR.. j. B. Walker, reports a
eood state OF health, the prison having been free