Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-09
1890.
TOO MANY IN PRISON.
ALLEGHENY COUNTY PENAL INsTlTU.
TIONS INSPECTED.

President Griffith, of the Maryland Prison-
ers' Aid Association Gives an Account of
Visits to the Worl1bouse. Riverside and
the Jni!-Praise and Criticism offered.
r. S. GRIFFITH, of Baltimore, President of
the Maryland Prisoners Aid Association,
has returned from Pittsburg, where he at
tended the sixth International Sunday School
convention, which was one of the largest and
most interesting assemblies ever held by that
body While there he availed himself of the
opportunity of visiting some Of the penal in
stitutions, namely, the Allegheny Workhouse,
the County Jail and the Western State Peni-
tentiary The following is his report as pub
llshed In the Baltimore American: 1 visited
the Allegheny Workhouse June 26. 1t is
located about eight miles from Pittsburg. on
the Pennsylvania Railroad. 1t is quite
large and imposing in appearance, and sur
rounded by handsome grove of trees There
is a large building in the center, us-d Tor the
dwelling of the Superintendent, Offices, etc.
This structure has extensive wings both on the
east and west side for the male prisoners, max
ing the width across $50 feet. They also have
separate building nicely arranged for the
female prisoners. The entire building con-
tains l, 05O cells with the capacity to securely
keep over one Thousand prisoners. The entire
cost, including 200 acres of rich land, was nearly
eleven hundred thousand dollars. It has been
occupied over twenty years, and during that
time has had over dfty thousand inmates. Only
l26 of this number have died. At present it
contains III prisoners, ana 81 of these are
females. During 1889 they received into the
institution 1924 prisoners their terms of sem
tence ranging from twenty days to seven years.
l was most courteously received by Mr..
Henry Warner, the Superintendent. and
taken through every department, including
the various workshops. All the inmates who
are physically able are required to work. either
IN the shops or around the garden andfarm.
Praise for the MANA cement.
I WAS particularly pleased with the large es-
adjustment they have for manufacturing
ice, which is in such great demand this season,
The blocks were as clear and beautiful as any
L ever saw. They find ready sale in Pittsburg
and other places. This industry is of great ad-
vantage to the institution. The various
workshops are well equipped with good ma
chlnery and the men seem to work cheerfully.
The large farm connected with the workhouse
not only affords healthy occupation to some of
the prisoners, but its products greatly aid IN
supplying the needs of the institution. The dis
cipline and management of the entire premises
is excellent, and everything is scrupulously
neat and clean. Mr.. Warner is a gentleman of
intelligence and striking appearance. 1t is
plain to see that when an order is given he ex-
poets to have 1t promptly obeyed. Still, he Is
Kind and humane, and a good judge of charac-
Ter. Inc only punishment inflicted is that of
the dark cell, with diet of bread and wafer.
never visited an institution of the kind with
which was SO much pleased. Mr.. Warner has
been the Superintendent for eight and half
years, This prison has received during the
year towards its support from the liquor license
the sum of $4,000.
was greatly surprised in visiting the grand
Court House in Pittsburg to find such a mag
nifccnt structure which was recently erected,
and certainly is most complete in every depart
ment. The cost OF this building, together with
the jail, which is just in the rear, and entered
through passage from the Court House, was
nearly 81 600, exceeding the cost of our Bal
timore City Hall. In architectural grandeur it
surpasses any other building of the kind in this
Court House that would bear any comparison
to it. The architect was the noted MIR. Richard
son, OF Boston,
Serious Mistake In the Jail Plan.
TIE jail, as stated, is just in the rear. with a
covered passageway leading to the Court
House. and through which the prisoners are
taken to and from the Court House during trial.
The Jail is large structure of five stories con-
tanning 3lO cells, 40 of these being for female
prisoners. 1t is built in a circular form, the
corridors containing the cells diverging from
rotunda in the center of the building. Some
-
Still, very seriousmistalze or biunder, which
cannot easily be remedied, has been made in its
coustruction-there is no separate department
for the women prisoners. As 1 entered the
jail noticed on one side of the corridors to
the left that the women were walking to and
fro, exposed both to the visitors who entered
and to the other prisoners, for as the corri-
dors diverge in their circular form it makes
them more exposed than if the Jail was built in
the form OF a square. Some changes should
be made to correct this serious blunder. While
the corridors may appear well to inexperienced
eyes, still, it does not meet the necessary
requirements to promote order and decency.
The jail contained 234 prisoners; of these, 80
were females. In speaking to the matron
entirely for females, she said yes, it made her
position not only embarrassing, but doubly re-
sponsible as she was compelled to keep her
eyes constantly on the women TO keep them in
their proper places. The matron is only re-
quired TO be on duty during the day, and goes
home at night. Consequently, the female
prisoners are wholly under the guard of the
male officers at night. This should not be al
lowed, as there should be both day and night
matron. was sorry to find in one of the cor
ridors eight little boys between and II years
of age charged with petty larceny. 1t is very
sad and unfortunate to think that children of
such tender age should be kept for from one
to three months in jail before their trial comes
up Certainly, 1t cannot improve their morals.
On the contrary, they will only grow more de:
moralized. Prisons should be SO constructed
that the discipline could be of such char
acter as would lead to the reformation of the
inmates. Otherwise, they simply become
schools of vice.