Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-27

OF this State is not hardship In all these respect
the condition of the convict is better than that
I the free laboriDg citizen and much superior il
pont OF plenty and comfort to any OF the aims
houses or hospitals maintained at the cost Of ethe
public private benevolt nee. The State treats he
criminals with generosity that is not accorded L
/ the INDECENT or the worthy poor We witnessed a
the close OF the midday meal at the Folsom prison
| an eXtravagant rejection of wholesome food, and
consignment to waste of untouched bread, beef nn(
potatoes, such would not be tolerated IN any pm
1 vate household in the State.
Charges of Corrupt Proportions by OH
GERS OF the state Prison.
An accusation was conveyed to Us, charging al
officer of the prison with having made corrupt pro
posals to contractor engaged in furnishing certain
supplies.
/ p J. Shafter, contractor, who has at various
| times furnished fuel to the State Prison at Sar
! Quentin, under contracts made with the Warden
! testified that Fulton G. Berry, Commissary OF the
prison at San Quet tin, made corrupt proposals to
the witness relative to the purchase of 205G cords
OF wood Tie nature of the proposition testified 70
was to the general effect that the Commissary would
use his influence TO secure the witness contract
for supplying 900 cords of wood provided the wit
| ness would divide with the Commssary the profits
sing out Of said contract Mr. Berry was allowed 10
testify in his defense against this accusation,
and in his testimony denied having made the al
legged corrupt proposition The alleged converse
ton not had in the presence of any other wit
ness. We therefore without other testimony
than the afilrfnltlOn OF the accuSef the
OF the accused. An attempt was made to show per
sonal anmus the part OF the witness against the
Conmissary, which failed
Various other accusations, Of which information
was conveyed to us failed the want OF any tes-
timony to support them, were clearly disproven.
Some General Recommendations.
We have presented, in a final review which
will conclude this report, oEr views and con-
cusions upon the general question of proper
prison system, and have sought to justify
them by reference to the experience and testimony
of the leading penologists of the world. We are,
however, fully aware of the fact that the develop
ment of higher system from existing conditions
viii be of slow growth. We venture, therafc re, in
this place to suggest some changes OF more imner
date and practical application.
Tirst-In our opinion all commitments should be
made to the prison at San Quentin building suit
able for cellular confinement and cell empoymt nts
should be erected adjacent TO and connected with
the present prison. All prisoners when first re-
ceived into the prison should be subjected to dis
ciplinary of such duration would enable the
Warden to determine their true character and his
tory. The prison at Folsom should be made dis
tinctively penal institution. Prisoners should be
drawn from San Quentin 10 Folsom as soon as their
proper Classification is determined. The prison at
San Quentin shoold be conducted as a reformatory,
or at least secondary stage OF punishment By q
system OF marks OF merit prisoners at Folsom
could the right TO be transferred to the lighter
and more desirable state of imprisonment at San
Quentin, aud by a ike system Of marks for denerit,
tence under rules to the more primitive stage OF
imprisonment 1T Folsom. The existence Of the tive
prisons affords opportunity for the introduction OF
this one great feature OF proper penal system. The
Board of State Prison Directors possesses the legal
power TO introduce this reform. Section l of the
Act to define, regulate and govern the State Prisons
of afornIa, provides that the Board OF Directors
shall have power to transfer prisoners from either
prison to the other one which, in their Judgment,
such transfer is for the best interests of the State
Second-Ihe transportation OF prisoners from the
jails of the various counties is at the cost of the
State Treasury The county Sheriffs receive 81 per
diem and ell travelling expenses for themselves and
prisoners while conveying such prisoners to the
State Prison. In the aggregate this per diem and
expense 6mcunt to very large sum per anuuni,
and very large saving could be effected by adopt
ing the pan Of officially notifying the Wardens Of
the conviction and sentence OF prisons and placing
the delivery of such cOnvicts from the jas to the
State Prisons in charge OF those officers The War
dcns could detail an experienced and competent
guard to escort the prisoners and thus the
tire amount OF per diem now allowed the Sheriffs.
This recommendation, with supporting facts and
statistics, was brought to our attention by Albert
Hart, Esq, Private ecretary to your EXcellency.
Third-We fiud the liability Of rearrest upon ex-
sting indictments or newly discovered offenses to
operate nuricusly upon the prison history Of large
number of conyicls. No prison system can effect
ANYTHING in the way Of reformation upon the mind
OF a prisoner who is drifting annie sly through q
term of penal sentence expecting immediate re
arrest upon his discharge In some cases the re-
arrest is wholly unexpected The prisonr has
manifested every disposition to reform his life, has
been Industrious and by faithfulness and diligence
has accumulated amount sufficient to bear lis
expenses, where he may begin life anew, when upon
his discharge Sheriff stands at the gate with
rant for his arrest for some untrle Indictment or
newly discovered oense, and the eXconvict is borne
away to county Jail to await in tedious confne-
ment a new trial, and to receive, perhaps, new
sentence The contemplation OF such probability
inspires the mind OF the convict with most hopeless
and gloomy views of his condition, and ingenuity
could not devise more insurmouutable obstacle to
reform or improvement Legislation should address
itself the task OF aording remedy for this great
wrong.
Fourth-If the power does not already exist it
should be conferred upon the Courts to suspend
sentence after conviction in all where it shall
appear to the judgment of the Court that such sus
pension would be for the best interests of the State
II the prisoner over whom such sentence is sds-
pended commits second offense, or habtualy asso-
cates with criminals or by any other act manifests
to the Court that the CRIME of which he was con-
viced grew egitimatey of his natural propensi-
ties then the Court may have such isoner brought
before it for sentence. This recommendation was
urged upon our attention by the Hon. Greed Hay
mond whose arguments in favor Of its practical
bllity and value we will transmit at early day.
Filth-The wort features of the congregate sys-
TEN cannot be eliminated without many changes in
the present construction OF the prisons, but they
may be materially modified by the immediate intro
duction of SO much of the associate silence system as
may be found applicable
| SiXth-In our Judgment, every consideration Of
economy imperativey demands that in the selection
of prison industries those only should b. selected
wherein the employment Of the convict viii afford
| opportunity to learn us full trade. Under the
| contract system existing prisoner is taught
TO perform only small portion Of the operations
necessary to the production OF wares furniture and
other manufactured articles but he does not acquire
that knowledge or skill which would enable him &c
! follow a mechanical pursuit when he Raves the
| prison.
Seventh-At the close of this year all prison labor
| by contract ceases, and the prisoners will be EN-
poyed on behalf OF the State. The materials FOR
| such employment must be purchased, and the wares
and merchandise produced must be disposed Of
The organization and successful prosecution Of the
| various industries will demand the undivided at
tention of most capable superintendent. The best
executive ability for this position should be secured
Up to this time the increased burden OF executive
duty arising out Of the preparations in progress tc
manufacture bags from juie has fallen upon the
Warden. The official duties legitimately belonging
to his Office are ample to fully occupy the entire
time and attention of the most capable Warden, and
the organization of the industries alluded to should
at once be departmentized and placed under The
management Of competent superintendent.
| Eighth-After the 1st of January next the STATE
Will becr mea m nuiacturer by the employment o
| convict labor on its own behalf With the product
Of this labor it viii appear in the market as seller
| There in the State Insane Asylums some 200
pltlents For many OF these clothing and boots anC
shoes are purchased by the State. AS a seller til,
State Will become a competitor with merchants an
AZ a purchaser it is often the victim of combination
To the extent to which it may be found practicable
&c clothing and boots and shoes furnished by ths
I State to the asylums should be manufactured by
convict labor The brick used by the State in th,
erection OF buildings should be purchased in SaI
Quentin. An addition is being made to the Insane
Asylum at Stockton and a condition Of the cOntrac
for that building should have made it Obligatory
upon the contractor to purchase the brick in San
Quentin All stone used in the construction o
buildings for the State should be obtained at Folsom
and ia all other instances where prison labor b.
utilized in the manufacture Of articles required bJ
the State such labor should be directed TO the pro
ductIon of that class of articles.
Niuth-The Board OF Directors maintain ofiic
IN San Francisco and employ secretary under sal
airy. The law requires that at leat meetins
shall be held at each prison in each ill., and tina
the clerks Of the prison shall act secretaries of tn
Board when the meetings are held at the respectiv
prisons. Meetings also held at the office at Sai
| Francisco, and the Secretary of the Board acts q
secretary of such meeting. The liability to a con
fusion of records arises out OF the multiorm secre
tarysEip The maintenance Of an office at Sal
Francisco may be convenience, but the conyen
fence is not sufficient to compensate the cost. W
therefore recommend the office at San Francisco am
the secretaryship attached to it be abolished.
Tenth-At the present time the prisoners enjo
the almost unrestricted privilege OF correspondent
with the outside world. This correspondence shoul
be placed under better safeguards and should b
strictly limited to family personal affairs. tn
intercourse between the friends Of con lets VII
visit them at the prisons should be placed unde
rule and guarded with greater vigilance by tn
prison authorities Current publications OF the day
which at present afford q convenient method c
communication between the criminal classes insid
and outside OF the prison, should not be permitte
to the convicts at all Their readil should be cor
f,,ls,