The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-12-27
THE REFORNIATORY.

THE REFORMATORY.
Gov. McGi.l yesterday received the report
of the board OF commissioners of the state
refOrmatory at St. Cloud. The officers of
the board are given as follows: GOrden E.
Cole, president; q. w. Holland, secretary
4Mr. Holland has since resigned); ID. E.
Myers. superintendent; j. w. Stevens,
architect The report gives, with consider
able detail. full account of the actions of
the commission since its appointment. A
committee was appointed, which visited
the refOrmatOries at Elmira. n. Y, and
Concord. Mass, and also the wOman'S re-
fOrmatOries at indianapolis and Sherburne,
Mass. The plan finally decided upon was
for building which will accommodate 400
inmates. and which will cost when COM
pleted $5OO.OO Only 500. 900 was appro-
priated by the Legislature, and so only one
wing of the cells has been constructed. and
this only partially, in order to keep within
the appropriation. An appropriation will
be necessary for the purpose OF furnishing
light, heat sewerage, ETC.. before it is ready
for occupancy. The superintendent eSti
mate of the amount necessary to complete
the wing of 1913 cells is ST, 500. His esti-
mate OF the cost of keeping the 1913 priS-
Oners it will accommodate is 1920 per capita
per annum. Statistics show that two thirds
of the whole number of cOnvictS are capa-
BILE of being reformed Seventy per cent.
of them are without trades. The inability
to earn money is an incentive to crime. 1t
is absolutely necessary, if the refOrmatOry
is to be success. that provision should be
made for teaching the prisoners trades. The
complaint that convict labor uIdersellS free
labor does not apply to refOrmatOry labor.
as the superintendent of the Elmira prison
no hos no 6iffi0ntfx, in
peting with free labor on account of its
cheapness.
The report of Supt. Myers is appended.
He gives description of the grounds, lOca-
ton of the buildings makes some recon-
mendatlOnS regarding the school and relig
iOuS services provided for in the bill eStab
fishing the refOrmatory. The defects of the
bill are mentioned as follows: First there
is no provision to compel the superintend
ent to make an annual report; second, 1t does
not provide for a treasurer OF the inStltu-
ton; third. a distinction ought to be made
between prisoners who are transferred from
the penitentiary and those who are regularly
sentenced to the refOrmatOry. The former
ought not to be allowed to be out on a pa
role as freely as the latter. Ii this is
allowed it will tend to destroy the efficiency
of the institution. The fourth defect is
that giving to the prisoners all they can
earn over the cost of keeping. This will
produce dissatisfaction and jealousy, as
some occupations will produce more than
Others, while some. such as janitor work.
will produce nothing. OF course eacE per-
son will want to be assigned to the work
which will be the most productive. and it
will be simply impossible for the superin-
tendent to give satisfaction and maintain
discipline. The estimate of the amount
necessary to prepare the building for 1913 in
mates and to maintain them for two years
is as follows:
Plumbing, heat ng lights. library, etc.. 53,575
Current expenses. l28 inmates. to July 81,
1891, at 1920 per capita per annum...... $500
This is the probable amount of the apprO-
priatiOn which will be asked of the legisla-
ture this winter. Press.
The retormatory has received the earnest
support of The MIRROR in all its principal
features. The idea of reformatory involves
the whole purpose of Imprisonment mas
much as it cOntemplates the imprisonment
of men TO remedy their evil nclinatiOns and