The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-02-12
PRISON REPORT.


Ors and Warden of the State Prison
60 the Governor of Minnesota.
The sixth biennial report of the manage
ment of the Minnesota state prison covers
the two years ending July 81, 1890. The
following extracts from the reports of the
Board of Managers, Warden, Physician
and Chaplains make interesting reading:
REPORT OF MANAGERS.
The two years under review in matters
pertaining to the employment of inmates
of the prison have been somewhat unset
tied and perplexing. having had to adapt
the disposition thereof in compliance with
the law enacted by the last legislature.
which was intended to be experimental.
We found the limit of two years authorized
for leasing on contract of any portion OF
this labor was embarrassing. More favor.
able arrangements might have been made
with less restriction. The short time al
lowed for the duration of the contract. to-
gether with the uncertainty of the future
placed the state at great disadvantage.
No responsible party would risk an invest
nent sufficiently large. necessary to the
profitable employment of lone hundred and
seventy five men," the number available to
lease at the time the contract was entered
into; being without adequate appropriation
for the employment on the state account
for this number of men. the board was
compelled to accept the best terms obtain
able. After advertising for bids for this
labor and receiving none, the board reluc
tantly considered the proposition made by
the Minnesota Thresher Company for what
labor the state had to dispose of and un-
provided for, and entered into an agreement
with the said thresher company. -. 1t
will be seen referring to the agreement
that the state acquires absolute title and
ownership of all the buildings within the
state prison grounds that had been built
and hitherto claimed by the thresher COM
pany. and the whole line of the shafting.
together with the new building completed
under this agreement for the state, leaving
no disputed rights whatsoever at the ter
minatiOn of this contract, between the state
and the thresher company. A new
plant has been put into the prison shops
for the manufacture of tubs and pals. oper
ated only by what force was not otherwise
engaged. Whilst we are not able to say
much for the profit of this enterprise, we
feel justified in saying that the plant is in
every respect first class and the state has
full value received for the expenditure.
.. The future of this department may
be considered hopeful. The board hoping
to assist, Though the states agency IN this
institution. in the development of great
interest. by seeking to utilize the fibre of
fax straw so largely produced in this state
and now entirely wasted. and, in response
to we'll defined public demand. they have
contracted for full set of machinery for
the manufacture of binding twine. esti-
mated production of 2. 500 pounds of twine
per day. and are now having a suitable
building prepared for this purpose. and ex-
pect to have the plant in operation early in
the coming new year.
We have no startling or untried methods
for the reformation of these unfortunates
to recommend. We feel that the most good
is to be accomplished by strict. straight,
forward enforcement of all reasonable rules.
with absolute justice. free from degrada-
tion and petty prosecutions liable to occur
by incompetent keepers. This. with a
ready recognition of good conduct and op.