Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-12
Mr.. FeltOn's Reformatory Prison
RiII

The following are the main features OF
/ Representative Felton's bill, which pro-
/ vides for the establishment OF State
reformatory prison.
In this prison shall be confined all male
convicts under Is years of age, and all
female convicts, whose sentence is for a
term longer than three months.
The prison is to be managed by five
trustees, two Of whom shall be practical
farmers and one physician. The trus-
tees shall be appointed by the Governor,
and their compensation shall be $500 per
annum. They shall have full control OF
the prison, with pewer to appoint.the nee
essarY officers and to remove them, or 10
prosecute them for any act that is in vio-
latiOn Of the laws. They shall have au-
thority to hold property in trust for the
prison and to sue for claims due it.
They shall have power to purchase an
improved farm Of not less than 500 nor
more than 1000 acres, and TO erect all
necessary buildings. The buildings shall
not cost more than $4,000.
The trustees shall appoint general gu
perintendent who shall have a yearly
salary of $500, and who shall reside on
the farm and manage it under the direc-
ton of the trustees. The trustees shall
appoint a physician, a chaplain and a
suitable number of overseers and guards,
At least two OF the overseers
shall be capable of teaching, and
shall be required to teach the juvenile
convicts the elementary branches Of an
English education. The trustees shall fix
the compensation of all their appointees
except that of the superintendent.
The convicts shall perform the farm
work under such rules and regulations as
the trustees shall make. All punishment
inflicted on the convicts shall be in the
presence of the superintendent, and it
shall not be excessive or cruel.
When the Governor shall have an
nounced that the prison is ready to re-
ceive convicts the judicial officers shall
sentence to 1t such cOnvicts as the law
provides shall be received by it. The
superintendent shall make reports as
often as they may be required of the
affairs of the prison and farm, and the
trustees shall make seml-annual reports
to the Governor of all matters relating to
the condition and management of the
prison.
After the female convicts pass the age OF
Is they shall receive only moral and re-
ligiOus instructions, but shall remain In
the prison until they serve out their SEN
fences. When the Juvenile male convicts
have passed the age of Is the trustees, at
their discretion, shall deliver them to the
convict lessess or otherwise dispose of
them as the laws in existence may d.
rect.
When a juvenile convict has been SEN
fenced the superintendent shall be mott
fed and shall convey the convict to the
prison, receiving only actual expenses for
his trouble.
The sum of $50, 600, or so much thereof
as may be needed, is appropriated to
carry out the act.
The bill is not complicated, and If
passed Will doubtless be sufficient to &C
cOmplish the purpose aimed at. In prac-
tice it may prove to be, in some respects,
faulty, but its faults, whatever they may
prove to be, can readily be remedied,
doubtless, by amendments. The commit
tee to which it has been referred will per
haps improve il in some respects.