Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-01-25
WARDEN's REPORT.
How the New Mexico Penitentiary Has
been Run Under Warden
q. G. Burnett.
Exhaustive Record of the Institution
INSTRUMENTATION and
Suggestions.

Of managers OF the New Mexico penlten-
tiary was yesterday afternoon sent to tie
senate, received and ordered printed.
The document is very voluminous and
exhaustive one, going into great detail
and Astounding Ill comparative statistical
tables, recommendations etc. Accom-
panying it are reports by DR.. Symington,
physician OF the institution, and Rev. Jas.
II. De Fouri, the penitentiary chaplain.
Among other things the warden says:
The sanitary condition of the peniten
ciary is good. But one death has occurre,
Turing the year, and that vas from
rheumatism of the heart.
THE CRIMINAL INSANE.
Attention is invited to the serious ques
lion OF how the criminal insane are to bt
Jared for. From the establishment OF
he penitentiary it has from time to tint
peen burdened with number of insane
riminals for whom no provision ha
been made, and for whose care no prope.
facilities exist. Their presence is an EN-
parrassing burden to the management,
onstant menace to the lives Of officers
md convicts and tends to demoralize dis
iplne. Some special provision for the
proper care OF this class should be made
Convict labor and material might be utl
ICED in providing quarters for the crimina
insane-near the penitentiary-an asylum
which might be enlarged from year t,
1--we lnI Ol hut hl
territory. In this way profitable employ
uent would be furnished to the convict
Tor time, and this necessary adjunct tt
he penitentiary erected quite inexpen'
lively. BY continuous enlargement il
ould ultimately bemade sufficient for tht
accommodation Of the same from all parts
# the territory, reserving ward for the
insane criminals. This could be don,
Without any competition with free labor
~ combining the convict labor to sucl.
work as there was no appropriation o.
money for. This would not interior,
With the appropriation of such funds 70.
| he erection OF Ill insane asylum as thu
eliSlature in its wisdom, might see fit II
make.
LIFE AND LOSG-TERM CoNvICTs.
There are in the penitentiary nineteeI
life convcts and about as many whose
,entences are for terms OF such length
hat in all important particulars they Cal.
70 classed with life convicts. Their work
now necessarily confined to the Gel
rouse or to the prison yard with the full
,orce of guards on duty. They brood ovel
heir lot at all times, but never so mucl
Is when confined to their cells for lack Of
employment. The bad effects of this con
inement upon both mind and body
| when kept up for two or three days o.
more, are very noticeable. The men be
ONE nlorose and gloomy, and now an,
| hen some OF them seem verging Oh in
sanity.
vi the various productive industries
! hat suggest themselves for the employ
nent of these life and long term mel
! ,erhaps that OF the manufacture OF {;
! heap grade of shoes is the most practic
! die. So far as an able to ascertain the
market here now is supplied excluslvel.
| " eastern manufacturers, our own doin,
nly a higher grade OF work, so there
rould be no competition of convict Will.
rec labor in this respect. The convicts
| lready make all their own shoes and
| othing and do all other manual labor
bout the penitentary.
Shoemaking is learned easily, and re
| lures only very moderate outlay fo
| ools and material, and that for materia,
| night be lessened by the establishment
| i a tannery, at very little expense, whi}l
| tould save, at least on the materia
| leeded, the eastern manufacturer profit
md the cost of transportation. The
hoemakingc be done in u shop with
small force of guards and one overseer.
| few TRUSTEES, without guards or over
| Ger, could attend to the tannery. The
| york shop could be built at Il tritiing ex
'ense by prison labor and OF prison brick
roviding work for the life and lon,
ERIN convicts is as much sanitary meas
re US anything. They comprise very
Important third OF the convict force am
an not be safely handled away from the
'enitentiary, except by the barbarou,
chain gang" method. The other two
birds can be safely employed under guaro
outside and away from the penitentlary
INCREASE OF coEvIcTs.
The daily average number of convicts
or the year 1887 was 8S and 9-l0; the
lverage for 1883 was 124 and 4-lO, or an
Increase of Is over the previous year
January l, 1885, there were in confne
nent here convicts sentenced for life,
ii for three years or over, and q for less
han three years, making a total OF 69, Oh
which rs ere natives Of New Mexico.
anuary |, 1889, there were confined here
3 life men, IA for three years or over
md "a for less than three years, making
total of III, of whi:h only % were
natives of New Mexico. The largest num-
,er ever in confinement here was l39
asst June. The increase in the numbe
# lite and long term men threatens to
severely test ut any time the fa ilites for
iolding them. A strong wall and better
uard houses are needed and convict labor
,ould be utilized in their construction.
The peni.entiary should be supplied
With gas. Prison labor could he used in
aging the mains and in putting in the
,ipes and fixtures.
EMPLOYMENT OF PRISONERS.
The employment of convicts is one Of
the serious problems which confronts the
management Of the penitentiary. In
the effort 10 bring about this reformation
which, next to the protection of society, is
conceded to he the most important object
II penal institutions, some kind of occu.
,aton is absolutely necessary. There can
)e neither physical nor moral health
without it. Solitary confinement, unless
emporariy inflicted as punishment for
'iolating prison rules, is, in my opinion,
emoralizing. 1t is positive kindness
n the court to include that "hard labor"
in the sentence which it generally does. |