The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-12-18
Report on the Jenersonytllc
Penitentiary.

polls Sentinel.
A comprehensive report OF The condi
tion. progress and management OF IN,
southern prison at Jeffersonville, for ID,
past year, was filed with the governor
yesterday by the board OF directors
warden. end other oficials OF The insti
tuition
Il The prison 10 shown 70 have been
self-sustaining during the year. A cost.
building for . laundry. bath house. on.
Gine and boiler-r0oms, has been erected
the foundation for new wall about the
Institution has bscn laid, the streets aud
thoroughfsres within the grounds have
been mscsdamized and Improved, the
sanitary condition hiss been improved By
careful attention and cleaning, painting
and whitewsshing the walls; the
grounds have been enlarged By pur.
chsses BY two and half acres north OF
the prison, and three and half acres on
the west, and cell-house B has been
thoroughly overhauled. The financial
condition is hsttering. the internal msn-
agement by Warden Patten 10 excellent.
the health Of the inmates has been good,
and, what 10 more noteworthy, no fur
ther appropriation from the legislature
is asked for any purpose. Altogether
the report shows sn excellent condition
Of The institution and reflects much cre-
dit on the present board OF trustees.
which consists Of r. +. Slater. Floyd
Psrks and w. B. Mcdonald; also upon
Warden J. B. Patten and bic efficient o.
sistants.
Entering more into detail the report
Shove that the new sewer 10 l.362 feet
In length, extending from the prison in
to the Ohio river. II has an average
depth Of fourteen feet. The right Of
way. which cost $4,000, was paid for out
Of On unexpended balance from the sp-
preparation Of e65 600 Of the preceding
year. There still remains Of this sppro-
pristion $6.055. BY careful manage
ment the sewer WAS constructed for ST.
923 36 less than the estimste made by the
Legislature. its cost being 46,222 81. The
amount Of convict labor expended on
the work was 2.e6l days. The convict
labor expended iu laying the foundation
Of the new wall. of which 1.4OO feet IL
completed, was 72S days. This wall wss
begun Oct. Is. and will not be compile
ted for some time.
The expenditures for the past year foot
up e74 769 SO. and the receipts from
earnings e74,945. leaving : balance 10
favor OF the latter. Considering the
large increase Of inmates aud the high
price Of food for the last year this il .
very good showing.
The expenditure account includes
o25, l02 80 for salaries, SO. .160 Ob for
provisions and maintenance. o6093 %
for repairs, Sl.757.12 for expenaes. &c.
1887 for clothing and bedding, So 2l3.-
l3 TOR fuel. 81 al 05 for light, o558 CO
tor hospital. 50 $50 for discharged con-
victs, and o395 so on account Of escaped
convicts. Nearly the entire receipts
were from the farming Of convict labor
With the exception Of el33 rs for U. S.
convicts, and elO61 30 for shops.
The contracts for convict labor now
being filled are - follows: Patton man
ufscturing company. hollowwsrs, con-
tract expires Dec 10 1896, 100 men It col
cents day Alexander J. Patton. manu-
facturer bolIowWare, contract expiresl
Jan. Is. 1897, 100 men ct IS cents day Il
William ID. Patton, manufacturer hol-
lowware. fifty men st 10 cents : dsv 4
Dennis CIsggett saddletree company, 100
men q IS cents : day; Bromwell brush
and wire goods company, contract good
until Nay !. with privilege OF three years
more, eighty men at ~ cents . day J.l
King CLARK. brush and wire goods maker,
contract came - preceding, fifty men.
The balance 10 the library fund isI
e3.I75 4, and the convicts' cash fund is
o2. SOS SO.
The directors state that they thorough
y investigste the institution and con-
verse with the convicts Ct each meeting. |
They ssy the prisoners ere we'll fed,
clothed and given such
treatment that no complaints are heard
from them. The daily average OF con-
victs IN the past year Wss 692 against
J69 10 1890. During the year SI1 con-
victs we're received, 266 were discharged
Ind eight died. A many we're recap
ured q escaped. But two escapes oc-
:urred during the year. Since 1922,
here have Teen 3Ul escapes. The coat
Der capita Was - 56 cents sgainst % 26 I
or the preceding year. the cost Of pro-
visions being higher. The cost Of The
after per head was l0.2 cents.
r. y. C0ti0ps the moral lnotruct0rs
tates that Sunday school and preaching
services ore regularly had and that in-
crest 10 them 10 good. Many OF The
'ouvicts sre thus redeemed. he thinks.
Home influences. be says, determine The
uture Of the prisoners after they leave
he prison. The night school u pro.
yressing nicely and meets with great
uccess. One hundred convicis are being| J
aught the common branches OF learning.
rhe library is IL good condition and re-
Igious books ere mostly 10 demand. Il
Dr.. 6. w. Runcie, the physicIsn, re-
'orts thst The general health hss been
% TO the standard From April to Ssp-lt
ember there were forty.eiRht cases Of
lux, but none were fatal. There were
leo forty cases Of debility IN the same
'criod. Eighty convicts had to b cured
4 burns. losing S54 days labor thereby. 4
rhe total amount Of labor lost on &C.
cunt OF sickness was $40 days. ,
Clerk o. w. Ferguson gives some In
eresting figures. or the convicts 161 [!
AN~ -