Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-07-05
a0RE iBOtr THE rOLIcE REPORr.
Jhe Condition NJ ne Prison Ihe
Mounted p0Fges.

Mounted poi1co.
According TO the report Of the com.
mittce OF thirteen, the mounted police.
for which 800, 900 was appropriated by
the Legislature OF 1882, are considered a
farce, and their disbandment recon
mended by q majority Of those signing
the report Two however, Of the
signers, the Governor OF Oahu and the
attorney general, approve OF mounted
constabulary OF SJme kind, to be under
the control Of the marshal The report
informs us that within nine months
from the time OF It's inception IL had
cost the country NO less than S358tL-
S.; that the Organization is composed
mainly OF irresponsible youths, taken
from a lawlcss class from the streets OF
Honolulu that OF the FIRST recruits
numbering between 10 and 2o) eight
had to be discharged for misconduct
and insubordination, and that OF twelve
men sent 10 Maui to do duty, six had
soon after to be discharged The
report might well have added that the
expenditure made was in direct con
trariety with the law, which distinctly
provides that the money appropriated
shall be used on the other islands that
the officers, 80 far rs the question of
conduct was concerned, were not much
of an improvement upon the men they
commanded, and that, in short, the
whole concern has been a disgrace to
the town and the money spent in It's
support a criminal waste OF the public
funds. In this connection We would
say that neither the blackguard row in
the barroom OF the Hawaiian Hotel
nor that which occurred at the AStor
House, and in which officers of this
corps were prominent actors, have yet
been forgotten. Other little matters,
TOO, OF very unsavory memory con
nected with this organization, which
might be mentioned, afford still further
reasons why it should be discontinued.
OF the Oahu Prison and its manage.
ment, the report says "rhe accom-
modations are insufficient, the crowded
condition OF the prison making it
necessary often to place three prisoners
IN a cell. There is no suitable place
for the occupants to take their meals,
there being nothing but an open shed,
insufficient in size, without a floor, and
having no tables OF any kind and the
water.closet arrangements are made
qua,e and in a filthy condition, and
located in such proximity to the eating
place as TO be most Objectionable "
This statement OF the committee is
more than corroborated by the report
of Doctor BrOdle, the prison physician
The report further says "That some
of the wants had not been supplied and
evils remedied seems ineXcusable, for
these might have been accomplished
with but trilliug outlay And who is
to blame for this disreputable state OF
affairs, if it is not the marshal OF the
kingdom, as he has the direct super
vision and control of such matters
But the committee have not half in
vestigated the actual condition OF
affairs there, as regards either the food
supply, the general condition OF the
prisoners or the prevailing discipline OF
the place, The time and opportunity
of legislative committee, however, are
always more or less limited, and they
are therefore not to blame in such a
matter A slight insight into the state
OF the existing discipline was given at
the inquest held over the late jailor
where the guards testified to the fact
that they did not always obey orders
but did as they pleased in the matter
OF relieving each other on watch
There is every indication that they
have done so ever since, and that, too
presumably with the full knowledge o
the marshal That drunkenness anC
debauchery shouldhave prevailed withir
the very prison walls, as brought to ligh
by the recent investigation, is sutticien
comment upon the attention paid tt
such matters The report says 9Th,
object OF Imprisonment of criminals i
not public revenue, nor for the win
diotlve punishment OF offenders. 1t i
Tor the projection OF society and tn
reformation of the criminal. 1t woul,
seem that "vlndiotive punishment
has been the most prominent idea il
the treatment OF offenders at the jai
IL 1t has not been so Intentionally, =
least neglect and apathy, upon the par
OF those who conduct affairs, have i
reality made it so. The prisoners, e,
cepting the natives, are poorly fec
their diet never varying throughout III
year, And this poor stuff they AT
compelled TO eat in floorless sheC
without table, and immediately i
contact with poisome privy that SenC
It's odors tar and wide The bathlu
arrangements are such that any pr
soner possessed of any modesly woul
almost prefer to 20 unwashed tina
avail himself OF such facilities as Al
offered Excepting the sick, and ie
favored ones, the prisoners, after belr
compelled to do laborious work all da
are housed at nigh, IN cells swarmlr
with bed-bugs and mosquitoes, when
little care and small outlay migi
pTeyen, their being thus tormente,
Such treatment OF prisoners, thong
not perhaps premeditated, must ha,
the same moral and physical effects I
II il ;p.ys ,indictiye No system OF il
s,uc,lon is supplied and no periodic
literature furnished TO the prisoners, :
should be the case in all well regulate
institutions OF this kind But now sh
bill has been passed providing 4
the appointment OF prison inspector
It is to be hoped that general 7
formation in the matter OF prison affai
will result and that men will be a
pointed 10 serve as inspectors who q
possessed OF minds large enough
comprehend the true objects OF IL