Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-08
THE FOLSOM PRISON.
Warden McComb's Report to the Prison
Directors.

directors.
General John McComb, Warden of the
State Prison at Folsom in his report to the
State Board of Prison Directors, says:
The appropriation for the support of the
prisoners for the last fiscal year was made
| on the basis of the year preceding. Since
| that time, however, the number of prison
ers at the close of the fiscal year was by
1873 greater than it was at its commence.
| ment. This cause, Joined to the fact that
| the income from the sale OF products did
not equal the amount estimated by the
| Legislature, rendered a deficiency newt
able.
The money necessary to carry on the
| management of the prison was obtained
from the National Bank of D. o. Mills &
Co., of Sacramento, at the rate of pei
cent. per annIm. To meet this indebted
ness it will be necessary to ask for an appro-
priation by the Legislature to cover the
principal and the interest to May, 1857
about $4,000. 1t will be necessary to
ASK FOR AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION
For the support of the prison for the
thirty-eighth fiscal year, as it will be i'm
possible to meet each months expenses
with one-twelfth of the sum already appro-
priated. | estimate the probable deficiency
at about 81 900 per month, making $4,000.
AS the majority of the prisoners are serv-
ing long sentences, and there is no falling
off in the number of commitments, there
will be larger population to support dur
ing the next two years, and as there prob
ably will be no revenue from the labor of
the prisoners, sufficient in amount to ma
terially decrease the expenses, and as the
amount that may be earned is a matter of
great uncertainty, it will require an appro-
priation of $4,000 for each of the fiscal
vears-thirty- ninth and fortieth.
This does not imply that The prisoners
will be idle for even single day, as they
can all-aside from productive labor-be
occupied in building an addition to the cell
building and in the construction of other
improvements, such as walls, sewers and
roads; also, in gardening, farming, wood
chopping, and in the manufacture of cloth
ing and shoes for the use of the prisoners
In my Judgment
NO PRISONER SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO BE
IDLE,
Except as a punishment. 1t does not re-
quire very great ingenuity to invent work
for prisoners when there is a stone quarry
on the premises, and l do not anticipate
any difficulty in keeping all the prisoners
busily employed. However, in addition to
the resources named, there is also the pos
sibility that the Natoma Water and Min
ing Company, through its successor, the
Folsom Water Power Company, will call
for the labor of the prisoners to aid in the
completion of the canal, as the decision in
the Superior Court is adverse to the State
If the case should be decided against the
State in the Supreme Court, the probability
of demand for the payment of the num-
Der of days labor must be considered.
1t is not too soon to look forward to the
time when most of the improvements will
be completed, and when it may be neces-
sary to find satisfactory employment for
the prisoners who cannot be used as me-
chanics. The purchase of an additional
tract of land will furnish that employment
in raising the grain and vegetables needed
for the prison, thus lowering
THE COST OF MAINTAINING THE PRISONERS
Without bringing their labor in competi-
ton with free labor by the sale of the pro-
ducts. An old-time prisoner commended
my efforts to establish small farm among
the rocks surrounding the prison, by saying
that the work would produce better results
than merely raising crop-that the re-
formation of a criminal could best be
accomplished by teaching him how to
maintain himself by honest labor, and"
said this philosopher, there is no better
way of giving that lesson than by showing
him that with his own hands and few
simple tools he can get his living from the
soil; he does not need to run the risk of
being Stunned by those who suspect him
of being an ex-convict, or to have the hui
initiation of a discharge by his employer
when the exposure of his history is made,
for he can go to some spot that is open to
l., f,- soft lew o1nn Z
and get enough from the sale of the wood
to carry him through till he can realize on
the little patch he has planted, and so go
on, with better prospects for the next year.
Many a man would do this if he knew
how, and could command the patience to
wait, but here he can see it demonstrated
the piece of chaparral that he helped to
reclaim is now growing crop of wheat or
barley, or is bearing grapevines, or is COW
cred with vegetables, and he can easily
reason that the same results will follow his
efforts when working for himself. Almost
any prisoner will take
DELIGHT IN THE WORK BY WHICH HE CREATES
SOMETHING,
And once you get a man fascinated with
work on farm, be has partly taken him
self out of the criminal class. Let him
discover that he can be his own employer
and make an honest living, and be will be
apt to complete his reformation" If no
other good result should follow the en-
ployment of some of the prisoners in the
occupation of farming, at least they will
help to diminish the cost of their support.
l regret to have to announce the demise
of two officers of the prison during the
year Just closed-Professor James Gauley
and Captain R. s. Bugg. Professor Gaulev
L i
ers, and all who knew him. He was per-
sonally endeared to me by his many lovely
traits of character. The gentle disposition
of Captain Bugg won friends for him on
all sides. The people of the neighboring
town testified their grief by closing their
places of business to join the funeral pro-
cession.
In the statistics of the prison population
will be found several tables which have
been prepared to meet the questions that are
asked by visitors, and some
times by officials OF other prisons, or by
of bureaus of statistics.
One comparative table,
SHOWING THE INEQUALITY OF SENTENCES
For the same crimes, will commend itself
to the students of penology. Your atten-
ton is invited TO the report of the Physi-
clan, Dr. f. G. Durant, to whom | am
greatly indebted Tor his cheerful assistance
in carrying out all measures for guarding
against the probable approach of any dis
ease from neighboring settlements, or from
on our premises. The remark
able healthfulness of the prison population
is cause for congratulation there is no
longer any foundation for the reports about
the insaubrity of the climate of this belt of |
the foothills. OF the seven deaths from
not one can be attributed to any
caused by a residence in this 10 |
cality.
Ny thanks are due to Captain Chambers,
and the other officers of the prison, for I'M
firing devotion to duty, and for hearty sup
port in every undertaking. To you, gen
tlemen, wish to make acknowledgment
of my Indebtedness for many acts of cour-
tesy and unvarying kindness. My unani- |
nous reelection is appreciated as a very
great compliment, but the delicacy of the
course of the majority of your Board lifts
the action above the plane of personal COM
pliment, and ranks it as an unselfish and |
tribute to principle.
THE CAMERA IN MEDIeINE.-It is now |
suggested that photography may become a |
useful agent in medical diagnosis, disclos-
ing symptoms of disease before they are |
otherwise perceptible. In recent negative |
of a child the face was shown as thicl ly |
covered with an eruption no trace of which |
co11ld be seen on the child until three days |