Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-02-21
THE PsIsoSsRs At NEW CASTLE.



Their Further Maintenance In
Idieness.
The number of criminals daily sent
over from this city to New Castle jail to
serve out their fines at the county's ex-
pense Is the subject Of considerable COM
ment in Wilmington. It is known that
the Jail is already crowded.
Tho indignant question Is asked why
cannot these lazy, contemplate vaga-
bonds be made to do some little work,
at least in the direction Of paying for
their own maintenance.
The manacled oonviots sent from the
police station here do mot average less
than 10 or IL q week. At this rate
Warden Toner at New CASTLE will soon
have to crowd his prisoners six to seven
| in q cell.
The aggrsvating point Of the question
Is that fully 80 per cent Of the Whining
ton jail.birds are not natives Of this city
or even of Delaware. They come mostly
from Philadelphia. The record of
these men is such that often they are re-
arrested for drunkenness or disorderly
conduct the very next day after serving
Out their term at New CASTLE. Their faces
are only too well known In the dock.
Their features are perfectly familiar to
the city judge, the court clerk, the re-
porters aud the police. Their record is
one of almost continuous commitment
and reoommitment.
Various suggestions are made to meet
this difficult social question. II is under
stood that In otner countries, and in other
localities in this country the question is
handled without gloves, and the convicts
are immediately set to manual labor CT
whatever nature the authorities choose.
In some states criminals are set at road.
building. Aud the results of their work
show some of the finest country roads in
existence. Elsewhere criminals are Gel
breaking stone, which is afterwards
hauled away.
In suggesting some species Of work for
Wilmington conviots there ia no neces.
Bity Of touching upon the vexed question
of convict labor. One Wilmington citi-
zen says that il there were any enterprise
or energy in the State authorities Della
ware might in very short time be pos
sessed of a5 fine system of country
roads as anyone can ask for. "What'
the matter" exclaimed an enthusiast,
citizen, with our having fret rate pix
from Wilmington to Dover built b,
prisoners" "Why not make each count,
. set its convicts to work; the farmers viii
sec that there 10 not much shirking."
At any rate the facts exist side by side
! of unused labor and work Of an available
kind sorely awaiting TO be accomplished
Other suggestions are that the Stat
: purchase Fort Delaware from the gov
| ernment and use it as penal settlement
/ for manual labor
, Again ii is asked, "Why are not thos
men set working on the streets ?" The.
i might be set to work along the ne,
streets not yet graded or curbed.
/ Throughout the community there ar
D pears to sxist an indefnable theory tha
! 1t is wrong, perhaps unconstitutional, o
i illegal, at least unkind to set the COZ
0 victs at work, and therefore the unwil
1 iuRnes5 Co ondorso moro YnyneSasajp y
, movement In the direction Of utilizinI
} convict labor. Undoubtedly, however
there are phases of unskilled labor O
which prisoners might work AMI at leas
defray the cost Of their maintenance b
! the county.