, 1879-01-12
THE BRIDEWELL.
Annual Report Of the Board OF
Inspectors.
Gratifying Financial showlng---What
to Do with the DrunkaTds.
Supt. FELTON, Giyes Some Statistics
and Makes Some Recon-
mendati0ns.

mendations.
Suggestions as to tbs Prevention Of Grim
Among Youth.
The Board Of Inspectors Of the House O
Correction met yesterday morning at the ofic'
Of Comptroller Farwclt. There were presen
Col. C. G. Hammond, the Hon. Luther Lahi,
Mills, and Mayor Heath. Mr.. Louis Wahl, tha
only absentee, is not in the city.
The report OF MIR. {. E. FELTON,, the Super
ipte1dent of the House, was presented, read
and adopted. It was embodied IN the report O.
the Board, aud with it will be sent to the Ct1
Couuc;l.
THE REPORT OF THE BOARD.
The financial results obtained during the fs
cal year ending Dec. 81, 1875, have been better
by far than we're anticipated at the commence
mcnt Of the year. With la1gely-din1inisled
number Of inmates it was not pos::'a]'' 70 t.,,
tinuc the manufacture of brir4, still
the other productive industries of the
institution have been carried forward in n more
than satisfactory manner. 4 large workshop
has been completed With capacity for the EN-
ployEacnt OF at least 800 men. and watcr-mains
hare been laid. TTo boilers and an engine have
teen transferred from the Drick-yard to the
workshop and set up for use Bath and clothes
rooms have also been constructed. New brick
walks hare been laid. Work has been continued
in constructing roadways and in filing aud
grading grounds. Other improvements have
been made, making the buildings more fit for
the purpose for which. they were intended.
The gross expenditures nave been less than they
were during the preceding year, uotWlthstand-
ing large outlay for material used in the con-
struction OF the Improvements mentioned
The amount Of cash received has
been largely In excess Of the amount
received in 1877. They give summary show
ing that the audited accounts Of 1875 were less
by sS,155, than those Of 1877. There was
sarinkage Of S14. .2CS in the general expense, and
an increased expenditure OF s5,513 for construc~
tion. The cash receipts OF 1873 we're S3,473,
aud Of 1877 $20,G57, showing an increase Of
si1,s2G.- The favorable showing, however, does
not altogether indicate the true results OF the
work OF the year. The decrease Of expenditure
was largely caused bv the great diminution Of
tie number Of prisoners, rendering it impossi-
lalc to carry on the manufacture Of brick or
o.u uer work creating outlay in management,
the effect OF which was to reduce the sources
Of revenue or profit. Much OF tho cash
received was from the earnings OF the prior year,
and, as in former years, the results obtained
have been from Keeping the expenses Of the
Department At the MINIMUM and using to the
best advantage all the available means in the in
crease OF the revenue. The expenses would
have been further reduced but for the reason
that nearly all parties from whom supplies
haye been bought have been compelled to take
..ty Strip it, payment for their goods, and as
such scrip las been at an average discount Of Z
per cent daring the year, it is evident that the
Institution has had to pay that percentage at
been bought III the open market for cash.
In EXAMINING THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT
0: an institution like this, with view to the
correct understanding Of the results obtain
tending to swell the debit account and
1Eose unfayorably affecting its sources of
reyenuc- To the business mind, fnexpc-
ri-nted in prison managements, the prop
o,lt:on that three. four, five. or more hundred
mcn canno5 be made 10 earn all the expense of
4 reasonable inference. In convict peni-
1cntiaries nearly all inmates are able
bodied or sufficiently SO as to enable them
To successfully work at some one Of the
and as the terms Of |
are seldom less than one year,
and frequently for life, there seems no impede |
ziIeat to tneir labor being SO utilized IS to earn
To pay the expenses OF such peniten- i
.iaries- But much less should be expected from |
liz prisons. They are the reeeptaclcs Of petty
offenders. and their population IS largely com |
posed OF the indolenS and the imbecile, and the /
short length Of time they are detained prevents |
Lncir being employed in any kind Of mechanical |
Industry which could be made profitable This |
as:itu.!oE, Of all the houses Of correction in
he land. so far rs shoriDess Of average days-o<-
Imprisonment is concerned, is perhaps THE most |
unfortunate There were at the close Of the
'ear onir twepty*eycn prisoners who were |
Under respective sentences Of sixty DAYS or |
more, and Of these, ten had at that time
rss Ihan sixty GAYS Of une1pired sentence,
eaying ont seventeen in prison who could be
teta!ncd sixty days. as shown in the Superln-
endeEt:s report, The average imprisonment TO
zach prisoner is ABOUT twenty-five days, and of
.he*e large percentage arc absolutely incapa-
,lc Of any work whatever because OF iutirmities.
ONE SOURCE OF EXPENSE
hat now Is, but ought not to lie, charged to the !
iouse of Correction, is that Of conveying
prisoners from the station houses to the iusti- |
u;ion and to tue cit; again when theirimprison-
nent ceases. The method now in vogue may
,e the most economical to the city, but tho
barge should not show as an expenditure |
gaiust the institution. Another suurcc OF |
eeminglV unnecessary expense IL found in the !
are OF the class Of prisoners who are physically
II mentally incapable Of work-broken yaerauts
md insane persons, whose proper place is the !
alnlshouse, or the Hospital, or the Asylum OF
he county.
However, Notwithstanding the impediments
Enumerated, they take pleasure in referring YOU
o the results Of their years work, as also to |
hat OF the six preceding years Of the history of
TIC institution.
At the time of the passage Of an act to fncor-
'oratc the Nashingtouian Home OF Chicago
he House Of Correction was not in existence,
Id persons suffering from
DEL1R1UM TaEMESs OR ALCOHOLISM
! any form who were under arrest were ueces-
aEily conGned in the 'sold Bridewcll, ''-one of
he institutions Ut the cit; which was notorious
unfit TOT the confinement Of human beings. |
,u1er that act 'sauy person sentenced to the |
ri1ewell or House of Correction for iutemper-
nee, drunkenness, or for any misdemtauor |
aused thereby, may, with the consent of the |
roper officers Of said Home. be received and |
eiaiued as an inmate Of said Home
lieu Of the BriGewc1l or House of
DIRECTION unit. the expiration OF such
and when any such person has been
,mm;:ted to the City Bridewell or House OF |
for aug such misdcrneauor caused by
or for drunkenness, either Justice
the Police Court may, with the consent atore-
lid, upon application, cause him to be trans
rrcd TO tho said Washinctonian Home for the |
;nired term Of his sentence AS u compensa-
I'll Tor this work, the said act says: ut shall
the duty uf the Treasurer of the County of
,olS, and the Treasurer Of the City of Chicago,
tic officers OF either into whose bands Ihe
me Inav corne or be paid, to nay over to said
sDoratiou, in quarterly instalfments, for the I