Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-03-07
SHORT.TIME PRISONERS.
Warden Hatch Protests Against Send
ing them to Detroit.


General Legislative Notes.
Warden Hatch of Jackson prison appear
ed before the state judiciary committee a
few days ago TO advocate the repeal of the
J law Of 1881 which allows one year prisoners
10 | . sent TO the Detroit house of correction
/ His argument embraced "a showing that
Jackson prison could keep conyicts, so far
as board and clothes so, for less than twelve
cents day, and including everything that
entered into the cost, for less than fifteen
cents "A day for each prisoner The force Of
men in the prison is short and he could
readily place 300 more convicts on contracts
paying seventy cents day. The fact that
the Detroit house of correction was the only
prison in the state paying expenses seemed
TO irritate Warden Hatch. He thought the
state was giving the Detroit institution
the means of making this showing and in
Weighed against the policy. So far as re-
formatory work is concerned he claimed
that the jackson prison was doing more
than the Detroit house of cOrrectiOn-as-
sorting that no reformatory work W , done
at all at the latter place. AS regards moral
influences he claimed tn q the sentiment
that first Offenders ought not 20 be sent 10 a
state prison was not found on good knowl-
edge of criminals and criminal ways. The
class OF prisoners, tramps and ratiaus
found in the city bridcwells were indie
scribably filthy in their personal habits and
dreadful contain ination resulted from per-
-
first otfense from coming in contact with
such. He preferred and thought every
humanitarian would prefer 10 have such
young offenders placed in prison, such a
Jackson, whore the moral tone was higher
and where the class Of criminals, though
deeply versed in crime were devoid of the
terrible habits which characterized the
body Of house of correction inmates. War
den Hatch said that the repeal of the
law would give Jackson prison
$1,000 more income, and he put it on
that ground saying that although the De
trolt house of correction cared for county
convicts gratis, it was wrong to send such
convicts there as long as the state prisons
were not full; nor could he see that Detroit,
though pay ny, as he sid, one sixth of the
state taxes, was entitled TO any considera-
ton in this matter, being evidently mortified
TO confess that his institution cOuld not be
made self-supporting, but year after was an
applicant for state bounty. One could only
Judge from Warden Hatch's speech that he
could see no way TO reduce his deficit eE-
cept 10 pitch into the business of the De
troit house of correction and thus If posi-
bic, prevent it from being cause of irrita-
ton by the ability which its conductors dis
play in making both ends meet. Warden
Hatch also favors indeterminatc sentences
The house committee on ways and means
have reported favorably the bills to give the
|
SIP, 900 and the Kalamazoo insane asylum
$4,000 Tor a chapel, s 200 for a new well
and 81, 900 for new sidewalk.
Speaker Dickma has appointed Represeu-
tat.ves Jackson, Salisbury and Baker
committee 70 correspond and acquire facts
about the effect of cigarette smoking on
minors.
Representative Zogelmeyer has intr o.
duced bin TO provide for holding general
elections once in four years instead OF
every two years and extending the term
Of the governor and ali state and county
officers TO four years. also bill providing
for four. years term of oGGcc for coroners,
surveyors and all other county officers
whose terms are not fixed by the ccnstitu-
ton.
Toe governor has approved the general
railroad act enabling the Flint & Pere Mar
quertc e purchase the Port Huron *
Northwestern road.
The house has passed the Nagel bill pro
vidng for the election Of Detroit school
inspectors by wards instead of at large,
and it has gone TO the governor. The bill
provides that the ballo's for school inspec-
tors shall be placed in separate ballot
boxes, wise provision in view of the
probability of the passage of the MurtaGh
bill, giving the women OF Detroit tho right
TO vote for school inspectors and making
them eligible 20 that Office.