St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-07


the city and where more land can be OBJ
tanned for it and drainage could be secured
is strongly recommended.
The Overcrowding of the state prison has
been relieved by new cells, but it is to be
regretted that some of these are in the dark.
The quarters for insane convicts are not
satisfactory, being unlighted and unven-
tilated, making cleanliness impracticable.
THE ST. PAUL COURT HOUSE.
A visit to the st. Paul workhouse showed
100 prisoners, thorough description of
which Institution is given. The locks on
the cells are insecure. The administration
of this workhouse is in pleasing contrast
with jails generally. The question arises if
it is possible to keep in cleanliness and
neatness 100 tramps, vagabonds and thieves,
many OF whom are sent UP for only five or
ten days, why is it not practicable to keep
clean and in good order five, ten or twenty
of such to be found in our county jails? Is
the answer to be found in the negligence
and inefficiency of the officers in charge;
or, perhaps, in the general tendencies of our
abominable Jail system?
RAMSEY COUNTY JAIL.
was visited by the secretary April and
May 4. 1t will be remembered that
joint inspection of this Jail was
made in January last of the city
health officer, the county physician and the
secretary of the board Certain suggestions
were then made as to indispensable i'm
provements. In their report on the condi-
ton of the jail they said:
First-Cleanliness is an Indispensable re-
Quisite in public institution. The condi-
ton of the bedding calls for immediate at
tentiOn.
The iron rods should be removed and
canvass hammOcks substituted, such as
those in the city workhouse.
Third-The wOmen'S water closet should
be screened; the lavatory and water closets
should have an adequate supply of water;
the deposit of food and other garbage should
be strictly prohibited.
Fourth-If practicable the smoke stack
of the furnace should be placed in the air
shaft. 1t is impossible to secure good VEN
tilation by unheated flues.
e Fifth-There should be bath tub in
ach corridor.
SiXth-The county should furnish prison
suits as is done in Dakota county, and en-
force bathing, enabling the sheriff to secure
cleanliness.
Seventh-We consider it indispensable
that there should be provision for isolating
witnesses, insane persons, children and
women. At present the sheriff cannot COM
ply with the law requiring separation of the
sexes.
Eighth-There should be separate
apartment provided for hospital uses.
Ninth-There should be fixed benches
for prisoners in the cells and corridors.
SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS
have been made. The old water closets
have been removed and elf-hushing closets
with urinals, with running water, substi-
tuted A new furnace has been placed in
the basement with smoke stack in the VEN
tilating shaft, and the ventilation is good
when the furnace is running. Two bath
tubs with hot and cold water have been
placed in the corridors. The interior has
been thoroughly whitewashed and there is
an. improvement in the matter of cleanli
ness. The condition of the jail. however.
remains very unsatisfactory.
The prisoners sweep their cells in the
morning into the corridor and there the
sweepings lay during the day, while some
of the cells are far from being clean. The
iron bars constituting the bedSteads still re-
main and few days since one of the pris-
oners nearly killed a jailer with one of these
bars, the danger OF Which has been referred
to before by this board. Many Of the beds
continue on the floor and the advent of
vermin only waits for warmer weather.
The wOmenS water closet is still I'M
screened. There is still no provision for
isolating witnesses insane persons and chill
drcn, nor can the sheriff comply with the
law requiring the separation of the sexes.
Yesterday there were two witnesses con-
fined in the corridor. six prisoners who as
saulted the jailer, locked up in five cells in
no 1ny,,e, Hnr
cupying the remaining cell at night. In
the jailer's corridor sat young woman
reported to be respectable, neatly
dressed, within hearing of the
ribald conversation of the prisoners
Her only crime consists of being insane.
The night before she was locked lip in a
cell in the mems corridor. Any lady be-
coming suddenly insane in ST. Paul, if
without friends, would be liable to the
same treatment. There is no separate
apartment for hospital uses. There is no
place for prisoner to sit down, except on
the floor or on the bed. Suitable
APARTMENTS FOR INSANE PERSONS,
witnesses, children and women might be
provided if the commissioners could remove
the county Offices to some other building.
The Otter Tail county jail was con-
demned; the auditor of Pine county was
advised not to put a jail in the basement of
new court house; the Otter Tail poor
house was in good condition; the county
commissioners of Lac Qui Parle have de-
cided not to build poor house at present,
as was their intention before corresponding
with the secretary.
The secretary gives detailed account of
his visit to penal and reformatory institu-
tons in the East. The Suffolk
county, Massachusetts,, Jail seemed to be
model of its kind, being
built in the form of a cross, and conducted
on the separate cell instead of the congre-
gate system. A few sentenced prisoners
under surveillance do the police duty of the
structure. The authorities would not ON
any account go back to the old Jail SYSTEM
and the prisoners felt the same way. The
men appeared quiet. decent, clean and re-
spectacle. Each man was held responsible
for the cleanliness of his own cell, and
promptly punished for any neglect in this
respect
MODEL PRISONS.
Among others, the Eastern penitentiary
at Philadelphia, designed for combining
prisoners on the solitary plan, met with
the special appreciation of the secretary.
In it there are 1, 100 prisoners and 700 cells.
One hundred of these prisoners are en-
pioyed to carry ON the kitchen and police
work, and the system works well.
The model station house the secretary
found located at Manchester, n. H., just
completed at cost of $4,000. 1t has
large convenient cells for fortys prisoners,
admirable sewerage and other appoint
lnents. A large court room, with a private
room for the judge, office of police captain,
reception rooms, guard room, policemen's
quarters. sleeping room for special officer
and temporary hospital room to be
used in case of accident are all under one
roof.
The Massachusetts state reformatory