St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-12
MINNESOTA JAIL SYSTEM.
Ably Discussed by Secretary Hart in
the Biennial Report Corrections
and Charities.
Existing Conditions and Defects Pointed Out
With Suggestions of Remedies Easily
Applied, From the RefOrmatory
and Humane Standpoint.

VI ine state Doaro Oh cnarlLloS ana correc-
tons, with its comprehensive tables covering
everything worthy of record in the charitable
and reformatory institutions of the state and
carrying the cost of the support Of their every
inmate down to per diem rate as well as his
thorough report as to condition, necessities,
etc., OF the jails, lockups, warehouses, poor
houses and poor farms of the counties with
valuable statistical information concerning
the same, is the most able document, as well
as the first of its character, ever issued in
any of the state departments.
Added to all this statistical matter Mr.
Hart gives paper on the Jail systems of
Minnesota which must command
a general and thorough attention from
the authorities and others in every
portion of the state. We regret that we are
unable to publish this in full, but are obliged
from want of space. to confine ourselves to
the following abstract:
THE JAIL SYSTEM OF MINNESOTA.
The Jail system of Minnesota does not
differ essentially from that of the older states.
after which it is modelled.
AT the foundation of the system is the
used almost exclusively for the temporary de-
tention of prisoners over night or over Sun
day, until they can be brought before mag
istrate. In few cases, as in the city of
Saltwater, these prisons are used for the
further detention of prisoners sentenced by
the municipal courts. The buildings
used for this purpose are almost ali
nf cir rrla fvnn et1 Il
number of cells. The building is set upon
blocks without foundation. Floor and cell
ing are constructed of two by four inch or
two by six inch scantling, usually pine,
sometimes oak, set contiguouAy on edge
and spiked solidly together The walls and
cells are constructed in the same manner,
like the bins of grain elevator. The outer
door is usually Of pine or oak plank, the cell
doors being of the same, with a grated open
ing to admit light, heat and air, or the door
is rude grating made by the village black
smith. There are usually two cells, each
abont five or six by seven feet, and corri-
dor about eight by twelve feet. There are
usually no windows in the cells; sometimes
"A single pane; sometimes Il transom sash
with three panes. The corridor often
has transom sash six or
seven feet from the floor; some
times it has one or two ordinary windows.
The exterior is usually clap-boarded, aud
sometimes painted. The exterior is usually
unfinished, the surface being rough scant-
ling, sometimes whitewashed. The majority
have fixed wooden hunks. Many have no
sleeping place but the floor. The bedding is
generally dirty, often scanty and sometimes
filthy. Some have chimneys, others have
none, but every such building is fire trap.
A spacious room for day use and cells of
stone or brick built against the outer wall.
Such are the jais of Sibley and Brown coun-
ties. The basement jais of Anoka and Pope
counties, and the old portion of Otter Tail
county jail, are of similar construction. All
such jails are very Insecure, and expose the
officers in charge to danger of assault in dis
charging their duties.
Every public institution should have at
least three essentials: Cleanliness, fresh
air, and bodily safety for its inmates, how
ever debased. Judged by this very moderate
standard, not more than seven out of the
twenty-six lockups inspected are fit places
for the detention of prisoners, namely, the
lockups of Minneapolis, Saltwater, Mankato,
Northteld, Fergus Falls, and the lookup pro-
per of Winona, and only the Saltwater lock
up provides suitably for the separation of
prisoners If the cities aud towns of Mime
sofa could know what sinks Of nastiness
these municipal prisons are they would not
tolerate them. The cost Of suitable struc-
lures need not exceed 5000 to $3.50 per pris-
oner, and cleanliness can be secured by a
suitable ordinance, as in Detroit, Becker
county.
THE COUNTY JArLs.
Minnesota has fifty-fve county iails, de-
signed to accommodate 654 prisoners.
Twenty-Five counties have no jals. OF these
jails twelve are wooden structures, similar to
the municipal prisons, and designed for about
dfty-six prisoners. They are all unfit for
use and may be dismissed, therefore, from
consideration leaving forty-three jails to be
considered, designed to accommodate about
600 prisoners.
The most primitive idlls are built of stone
or brick, with spacious room for day use
and cells of stone or brick built against the
outer wall. Such are the jais of Sbley and
Brown counties. The basement jails Of
AnOka and Pope counties, and the old por-
ton Of the Otter Tail county Jail, are Of
sin liar construction. All such jais are
charge to danger OF assault in dlscharglng
their duties variation Of the same plan
consists In having cells Of boiler iron built
close against the WALL as In Mower and
Freedom counties. Such jails are a little
more secure; but the cells are dark aud ven
tilation imperfect. a second plan consists
ia having an enclosed corridor Of iron in front
of the cells, for the prisoners, separated
from the opposite windows by a narrow cor
ridor for the jailor, the intention being 10
exclude the prisoners entirely from the jail
oTs corridor. Such are the jails of Wash
ington, Nicollet aud Rice counties. This
differs from the fourth plan only in having
the iron cells close against the wall. third
plan is essentially the state prison plan, con-
ssting of a central block of stone or brick
cells in two rows, back TO back, and in one
er more tiers, With a corridor surrounding
the whole block Of cells Such are the jsils
Of Ramsey and Blue Earth counties. In
GOOdhue and Stearns counties, the corridor
surrounds only three sides. fourth plan
Is sometimes known as The "cage plan" 1t
consists Of a cell, or block Of cells, or iron or
steel aud iron, set in the center Of cell
room, and surrounded by a jailers' corridor.
Such are the jails Of nnepin, Winona, and,
in fact, some twenty-three Of the forty above
mentioned. There are some fourteen such
jails in the state, all on the cage plan, in
Clay, Grow Wing, Henntpin, Kandiyohi, lie
Sueur, Martin, Meeker, Mobiles, Otter Tail,
St. Louis, Scott, Steele, Stevens and Todd
counties.
DEFEAT OF THE CAGE PLAN.
In each Of these fourteen jails, the interior
of the cage is very dark. The only e1cep-
ton Is the Scott county jail A second defect
is that, in all such jails, the whole cell room
must be heated for even 4 single prisoner
The cost Of heating the jsils Of the state is
enormous. A third objection to this class Of
jails, especially the larger ones, is their secu-
rity. Officers are led to rely upon a steel
cage rather than upon ceaseless vigilance.
4 I'D Liz --s.L. Ii Il --o.-.h.