Blue-grass blade., 1886-02-06
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@<xs>V"T
A PERPr.EXrNG SITUATION,

lature on the penitentiary question
discloses q most remarkable state of
aft airs in that institution. All the
machinery, implements, and even the
beds on which the convicts sleep
belong to the contractors. The State
owns the buildings, the boilers and
engines and q few old hemp looms,
AMI nothing else. The State does
not own pound of meat or an ounce
of flour on which to feed the convicts,
and there is not dollars worth OF
material on which to employ the
co victs, and to 'cap the climax"
tb State has no money with which
to ouy anything. II will cost S316
de- to feed the convicts and pay ex-
pc ses. or Sl37,304 for a year. Tn.
constitution prohibits the State from
borrowing another dollar; claims
ag ,inst the treasury have already
be n deferred six months; every cen,
that is expected to be availsble TO,
sixty days must 60 to the school
fund, and what is the State soing t.
do with the convicts in the mean
time?
There is mabifestly nothing that
can be done but to let them starve to
death or for the Governor to turf
every one of them loose on the COM
munity by wholesale pardons.
The next best thing might be for
the Legislature to enact a law pro-
viding for the convlcts to be turned
out on "ticket-of-leave," as it is
termed in England. By this form Of
furlough the English convicts are, on
good behavior, turned out Of prison,
and required to report to certain Of
ficisls at stated times. They may
be turned into any Jail on proof Of
bad conduct, and the "ticket- of leave
is thereby revoked.
In this exceedingly perplexing cit
uation in the Kentucky penitentiary
the Legislature might provide for a
"ticket- Of leave" for all convicts in
for crimes other than treason, MUIR
der, arson and rape, and thus find re-
lief in the only possible way that is
visible. This is rendered more i'm
perative from the fact that when
MASON & Co., return the leased con-
victs there will be fully 1,1O0 within
the walls of the penitentiary. On this
point Gov. KNOTT says: "This, in.
my Judgment, would be a popular
calamity. II suggests possibilities
at which humanity revolts with in
stinctive horror. There are, all told,
744 cells in the penitentiary for male
prisoners OF these but G4S are
available, and they are barely suffi-
Gle It for Que convict each. The
remaining 96 are totally unfit for oc-
cupancy except in the mildes,
weather. Therefore, unless some
provisions shall be m ids for their &C.
comm odrtion, over l,OJ0 convicts
must be crowded into quarters
scarcely sufficient for GAS In other
words, over 700 human beings mus,
be mmured by couples in cells cnly
3 8 inches wide. 8 IT. 3 inches high
and 6 feet s inches long, furnishing
under the most favorable circum-
stances air sufficient for u single per-
son only. Ii you would realize the
3lrible results which must ensue
.om such condition of things, you
have but to refer to the horrible his
tory of squallor, misery, crime, dis
ease and death disclosed by the in.
vestigation of tho condition of the
penitentiary made by your prede-
cessors in the winter OF lS79.80."
With such facts staring them in
the face we do not see why iegis-
lators should hesitate a moment in
adopting the "ticket-of-leave" plan.
It would probably set loose rs per
cent of the convicts who are in for |
minor ofiiensss, and give the State a |
breathing spell and ali opportunity |
10 make suitable provision for the
poor wretches who fall into the |
of the law.
But, no matter what is done, the |
should abolish the cd Gus |
lease system, by which convict labor |
IS brought into ruinous competition 4
with the honest wage-workers Of our
STATE.