Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-20
THE FOLSOM PRISON.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE WARDEN
ON ITS COSDIT!Gs.
DANA Splendid Showing
for the Year.

fof the Year.
Charles Auli, Warden of the State Prison at |
Folsom, has submitted to the Board of State |
Prison Directors his annual report for the !
thirty ninth fiscal year, showing in detail the
operations OF the year The report contains
uch that is ofspeeisl inter- st to saeramentsns
and is as follows;
To the Honorable state Board Of Prison Direct-
ors-GESTLEMEN: have the pleasure 10 sub
init herewith my annual report for the thirty
ninth fiscal year, showing in detail the opera
tions of the Folsem State Prison.
| Having assumed charge OF the prison on De
cember Is, 1887, you are respectfully referred TO
the statistics furnished from the records TO IL
/ formation prior to that time.
! The financial condition of the prison at the
close OF the year, as well as ali the transactions
for the year. are fully set forth in the report Of
| the Clerk, submitted herewith.
The appropriation made by the Legislature
foT the support Of the Folsom Prison for the
| th;Ityninth and tortieth fiscal years was $780,
! coo. IL will be seen by the Clerk S report that
| less than half of the appropriation vas neces-
seTy loc the first year. TO be exact, we used
5 1888 - from the general appropriation, leav-
| ing bElsnce Of Sll 426 e.
IN addition to this closed the year with
cash on hand, 81 ,492 %; cash in State Prison
fund.- 6,561 49; due from sundry debtors,
Sl,1S7 81; amounts paid on May and June pay
roll, 1927 81; making a total of available cash
assets, besides the balance Of the appropriation,
o! 3d. ,269 80.
It viii be seen from the above that we will
not require so large an appropriation for the
ensuing two years, although the fact that all
your convict labor force Is, and VIII be en-
ployed on n0n-TemUnerative work, onsthe con-
struction of the dam and canal for the next two
years, and we will have TO depend solely
the appropriation for support, which Will be
necessarily larger than il would be If we could
use our force in QuarTying stones for the market.
After making due allowance for all contingen-
| cies that may arise, l estimate that we Will re-
unire 81 10000 for the tortyfirst fiscal year, and
the same amount for the forty-seoond fiscal year.
By that time he dam and canal will be COM
pleted and the labor ofthe convicts will largely
decrease the burden of the State, If not clint
nate il altogether.
| Tne report of the Deputy Warden presents
some interesting tables as to the previous condi-
| tons of those committed 10 prison, and also
shows that by decrease OF commitments, re
moyaI to san Quentin, and death, the num-
| her of co 4yicts has decreased from COZ at the
beginning of the year, to 42l at the close ofit-a
! decrease during the year of Isl.
| We have cell room for $50 men. The new wing
to the main prison, compet i'll January last,
has room for cells to n accommodate 400 more
prisoners.
The large decrease in the number of prisoners
| proportonately increase the per capita per diem
cost as it requires as large official and guard
force to properly and securely work 400 prison.
ers as it would 500. 1t requires Il certain num-
Der of men To establish IL guard line in the alb
sence of prison wall, and it requires that force
for smaller number and no mOte for a larger
| number of prisoners.
The physicians report is interesting in refut-
ing the OitTepeated assertion that this is an Iln
healthy location for prison The contrary is
the fact. The death rate is lower, and percent
age of excuses from labor on account Of sick
ness less than ia any prison within my knoTl
edge In this connection am quite certain
that Dy substituting iron. stone pipe with proper
traps and cut-otis, for the present clumsy sys-
tenn OF sewerage, the health Of both c0nVictS
and freemeu will be greatly improved. Your
honoraIle Board have already passed an order
| directing this to be done, and / hope to thor
oughly improve the sewer system o. the prison
in the early spring.
| During tie last six months OF the year, the
| conduct and dciplne OF the prisoners has been
| exceptionally cd. Very few breaches TO the
prison rules have occurred, and only Of trivial
| nature.
The unremitting interest in the woTk OF the
prison, 50 distinctly manif sted by iho officers
AID guards, has been communicated in 8. large
degfee to the cOnYictS, who have been TINS
stimulated to extra exertion t. secure all the
benefits to be derived from good conduct, hard
work, and Il Chserful compliance with all the
rules laid down by your honorable Board fol
their guidance.
IMPROVEMENTS DURING THE YEAR.
The completion of the annex to the prison
building during the past year, and of the new
iron roof over the cell building has added
largely 10 the comfort of the building. as wei
as to lis beauty. The old wooden and tin r0o
was constant menace to the safety of the
prison, both from the elements and from
escapes. The raising of the wall four feet, ans
the addition of row of apertures near the roof
has greatly improved the ventilation, and in
measure sccounts for the remai kabie healthy
condition OF the convicts this summer The
annex will have capacity tor 200 double cells
but as we have cell room for our present ant
immediate wants it viii not be Necessary Il
| utilize the room at present.
The work upon the annex was done exclus
lively by convict labor, and presents strikins
| contrast to the contract labor as shown in th'
old building very much to the detriment of tht
latter.
The building of the annex necessitated new
guard post at that point. In January lat W.
ff.lr CNtH LOT Il tl,n
| June 1t is Ofcut stone, with cement floors enc
corrugated-iron roof and is one of the hand
soonest structures of the kind on the coast. Tht
first story is occupied by the aTJnory the secon'
story as a sleeping apartment, ard the uppe
story by Gatliug gun, atfOrding fine sweep 0
the surrounding country.
On the 1st of April the honorable Board re
scinded former order prohibiting The sale O
granite and directed me to quarry and dres
stone for the general market. and TO sell th
same to the best interest OF the State
( began cutting street cuIb.1g st once, All
:. offered the saue for sale in san Francisco an
;. o her interior markets first learning the prie
asked by other quarries, 50 a5 TO not md re
yF or compete with the product of free labor. Fro
IN the first orders came i'll much faster than "
ne could fill them, The first curbiug as so d Il
,r i5 cents per lineal foot, which pr'ce increase
,0 to 80 cents, to 53 cents, and finally to 20 en
n on the 1St ofJune, delivered on the cars at 70
sh | SON, which was the rulirg price at that dst
N when we were compelled TO cease cutting to 1C
gin work On The dam and canal Dressed s!Cn
- likewise brought very hich price ard V
EltlScu inc t-SIIH JlalfS ibk Nieti oIQPlS III 9
on hand to nave Kept the entire available tor,
busy for a year
At the prices obtained for stone work the cor
victs could easily earn s. net per capita po
g diem, for all employed in or around the Guarrr
1t viii be readily seen that the employing of
per cent. of our force at quarrying would yield
revenue sufficient to pay the expense Of the e.
tire force and cease to be a burden to the Stat
The reason OF he increased demand and il
creased price OF stone work is found in Il
rapid advancement our State has made in Il
past year or two AS our cities become mo
populous and real estate becomes more vsl
able, there viii be an increased demand Il
more substantial buildings, and the grani
quaTrtes viii naturally be called upon to su
ply the demand.
? The working of convicts at quar5ying al
II dressing stone need not necessarily comte
q with free labor, If the price asked by the sta
for the product of the quarries is fully up to Il
IN market rates. II is only when the price is 7
duced to point below what would be fair COZ
pensation for free labor that the competition b
NJ comes hurt III.
M That labor is best sJlited for the enployme
Au of convicts aod yields the best results, whe
the raw material is of minimum value, ard q
largest percentage of the price Obtained for &
product is for the labor performed IN preparii
tn, II for market. Hence the qu9rrying and DIRE!
ing of stone has long been considered as beil
peculiarly adapted for convict labor. No e
pensive plant is required. No great skill is nece
sary 10 operate intricate machinery. The ra
ED material comes out OF the ground practical
on free of cost save for the labor performed, al
the price obtained is the reward of convict lab
and industry. Ihave great faith that good !
. suits VIII be produced in the future operatio
of the quarry.
THE DAM AND CANAL.
The report then quotes at length from Il
RECORD-UEIeS of April 18th last, q full blsto
of the various Acts of the Legislature relati
! TO the Folsom Prison, and continues follow
Such was the condition OF the canal and ia
at that date. he attention of his Excelienc
: Governor Waterman. having been called 10 Il
= e, terprise, he made an inspection of the pi
50 posed work, and also examined the deeds al
all statutes Cariug III ON the subject, and
coming convinced that the benefits that wou
Ter aerue to the state so large that another
IL tempt ought TO be made to form q satisiacto
AZ agreement with the Folsom Water Power Coz
Ter pany in order TO realize the many natural a
as yaptages that were obtained IL the origin
be InoT calIed Of 1nr e al
go board for May 5th, and also notified Mr.. Liv,
%.