St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-12

COuublc5. NOION WING hCLCOu COuu-
ties were not visited.) Ramsey county jail
has the excellence of cell room in two stor-
les, permitting good heating and good ven
tilation. Stearns county has probably the
best administered jail in the state, under
She riff Matthias Mickey.
FOR WHAT ARE COUNTY JAI4s USED?
The jails are used for two radically distinct
purposes: First, for the detention Of several
classes of persons; second, for the punish
ment of certain classes of conyicts. AS
places Of detention they receive: First, per-
sons accused Of crime-men, women, boys
and girls, of every possible grade of limo
cence and guilt; second, witnesses in cases
of murder in the first degree, arson, where
human life has been destroyed, > and cruel abuse
of children; third, persons against whom in
formation of insanity has been filed, until
the question of their sanity or insanity is de-
termined, often several days.
THE INSANE AND INNOCENT.
The detention of insane persons in jails
appears to be entirely matter Of conven-
fence, without any specific warrant of law,
but 1t is common practice, and, indeed, in
some cases, seems almost unavoidable.
Ioui CHStS VI WlIucSstS 'lStdlHGQ nave OCCuT-
red in Ramsey county alone in little over
a year-two of them young women.
Nor are insane persons and witnesses the
only innocent inmates of our jails. In our
own state in $780, out of 744 cases prose-
cuted, 2T1, or 80 per cent. resulted in ac-
quittal or aoNe proSeqtd Doubtless many of
these persons were innocent, being victims
of circumstantial evidence or malice. A boy
4,arN ,r11 Ill ID.
for the grand jury on charge of arson, in
May, 1884. His cell mate was thief, and,
by day, he had the liberty OF the corridor
with eleven men of all sorts. The grand jury
found no evidence that the dboy was guilty or
vicious. Certainly innocent prisoners have
a right to be kept from association with the
vicious, and to suffer as little hardship as
possible; but in the majority of the jals in
Minnesota there is no provision for aud no
attempt to separate these classes. Our law
goes q step further. and implies that the
same consideration shall be extended to all
uncon vcted prisoners.
This view seems novel, but on reflection,
its justice is apparent. The statutes of Min
nesota provide Chapter 100, section 81 that
leach prisoner shall be served three times
each day with wholesome food, which shall
be well cooked and in sufficient quantity. -
1t is further provided that, except in few
of the highest crimes, prisoners may give
hail. Two men are arrested for the same
identical offense. One gives bail at no cost
except the credit of friend, and goes free.
He can attend to business, earn money, en-
Joy the society of his family; is subject
neither to hardship nor disgrace The other,
being unable to furnish bail, is committed to
Jail for one, three or six months, or even q
year. He is unavoidaDly deprived of liberty,
earnings and society. At the trial both are
found guilty and sentenced to an equal term
in the state prison. II detention be made
punishment, gross injustice is done to the
man who must lie in Jail. 1t appears, there
fore, that detained prisoners whatever their
real character, should be given comfortable
and wholesome quarters, treated with all
leniency consistent with safety, kept from
debasing associations, and have the constitu-
tional privilege of speedy trial.
CoNvICTs IN JAILs.
On the other hand our jails are used for
the punishment of sentenced criminals
convicts. These sentences vary in duration
from one day to two years. The convict, of
course, needs entirely different treatment
from the detained prisoner. He should have
plain fare, hard bed, hard work, few privi-
leges, and be made to feel that the way of the
transgressor is hard. There should be sharp
and visible contrast between his treatment
before conviction, while innocent in the eyes
of the law, and after he is adjudged guilty.
Inmates Of Minnesota iais of all classes
are well fed, usually having the same food
with the sheritf's or jailer's family. Com
plants of lack of quantity come from some
prisoners in Ramsey and Hennepin counties,
probably without just cause.
AN INSoLvABLE PROBLEM.
The question arises Is it possible TO keep
prisoners in the same apartments, on the
same fare and under identical conditions,
and make the Imprisonment punishment,
terror. and disgrace 10 one class, and at the
same time make it to another class a com
Portable, humane detention, largely relieved
from hardship Surprising as it may seem,
this is readily accom- plished in our county
jails; but unfortunately the wrong class is
affected in each case. The aim Is to punish
the convict and make comfortable the de-
tanned prisoner. The result Is exactly the
opposite. The sentenced prisoner is usually
a tramp, drunkard, bully or a petty thief
Vcrmin have no tcrrors for him, dirt is his
native element; fresh air is distasteful Given
no work, warm fire, good food, pack of
cards, pipe of tobacco and com panions Of
his own sort, and he is perfectly happy. He
lacks only bottle of whisky, and In some
iais he can get that He will steal 10 get
back, IL discharged in cold weather. He Is
not punished. But take a man of decent
habits, unconvicted of any crime thrust him
into a narrow, foul smelling prison, CON
structed exactly like the cage Of a wild beast
in menagerie: too dark for reading with
comfort; without a chair, or a bic, or bed
linen: without provision for bath: locked
up from dark TO daylight with from three to
five other prisoners of all sorts, in cell six
and half by eight feet, and seven feet high;
compelled TO listen, day and night, TO an
uuecasing stream of the vilest language 10
the thieves dialect. Is worse punishment
conceivable for an innocent man this side
OF perditioni Yet this is the actual condi-
ton Of the detained prisoners in
large proportion Of the county jails of
our state. In some 1t is worse In Henne-
pin county Jail, in the fall Of 1888 prisoners
declared they could not keep their persons
free from lice, and the officers admitted IL.
Strong prisoners were accustomed TO take the
best blankets, leaving the ragged ones to
weaker men : anu lne sncrIH Hau 10 20 IN Oc-
casionally and redstribute. Ramsey county
Jail has swarmed with vermin; bcdbugs in
Testing the cells, while cockroacbes overrau
the prisoners food in the DUN b-waiter. AT
the present time rats infest the cells and lice
infest the prisoners. GoOdhue county Jail Is
in a sinking cellar, so damp that fire is
needed the year round, seriously Injuring the
health Of prisoners and Office alike. Douglas
county has two dungeons literally under
ground, like the coal cellars under city pave
ments. The cells IN Mower and Big Stone
county iails are untenantable in summer for
lack Of ventilation. Illustrations might be
multiplied, but are unnecessary.
II Is absolutely impossible to make sin
gle institution good house Of de-