The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-12-30

ness and Discipline.
AUGUSTA, Me-. December 2S.- The
Board of State Prison Inspectors, OF
which Hon. Charles w. Jones is chair
man, have made their report to the gov
ernor a d council. Speaking of the
state prison at Thomaston, they say:
During the past year the affairs OF
the prison have bee conducted in a very
satisfactory manner. The discipline
has been good, the punishlnents few, the
health of the convicts SO go ID that the
hospital has been turned into school
room, the food plain but of good quality,
and everything about the prison has
been kept in perfect condition.
1.-The number of convicts has not been
SO small for many years. The average
this year has been 10 less than last year.
coneicts 1892 days, which at 25 cents per
dav. would reduce the earning capacity
SPAS. There has been no appropriation
from the state, except for portion OF
the officers salaries, consequently what
deficiency there has been has had to be
made UP by reducing the stock already
on hand.
"The prison has never in its entire his
tory been made self-supporting, although
reports at times have been SO liked as
to show the institution as self-sustalnlng.
So far as we can learn. there is no penal
institution in the country that is self
supporting, or anywhere near it, and all
talk about making our prison pay its
running expenses. is the sheerest II H.
sense. The thing for us to consider is
not how to make the prison pay, but
how little money we can use IN its opera
ton.
"A fter a careful study of the existing
law restricting the employment of con-
vict labor to 20 per cent of the convicts
in any given industry, we are fully pre-
pared to- recommend its repeal. With
our present small number of convicts it
is impossible to obtain the best results in
employing them in SO many diversified
industries with so large number OF in
structois and disciplinarians. Ii our
manufacturing could be reduced to two
good industries far better results could
be obtained. and at far less expense to
the state
''There has never been matron to
care for the female convicts at the pfis-
on, who have always been under the
care of the male guards and seldom ever
see one of their own sex. SO Ia as we
can learn there is not another prison in
the United States without matron, and
we earnestly recommend that the next
| legislature provide for one, that our fe-
male convicts may be kept in accordance
with the demands of modern civiliza-
| ton.
'sWe recommend that some law be
passed inf1icting additional punishment
| upon life convicts who shall murder OF
attempt to murder any of the prison
| officers, than our present law provides
| for They are the very worst criminals
we have and will hesitate at nothing that
NAV rive them their liberty.
/ '.Ihe large number of pardons granted
during recent years compels us to con-
! slider this matter briefly at this time.
| While we do, not presume to sit in Judg-
| ment on the pardoning power OF the
state, we do deem it within our province
| to call attention to what we consider its
| abuse The present executive, SO far as
we are able to Judge, exercised this pre-
| rogative with wisdom and discretion.
| There is not single convict that does
not cherish the fond hope of executive
| clemency, encouraged by friends, and
the greed of INSCRIPTIONS attorneys. We
| find on examination of the prison rec
ords that since Maine became state
Is 2-3 per cent of all the prisoners COM
| IuItJGu 10 LIE pIlSOu udu SdIAOu uioiA
fire. dom by virtue OF pardon.
''We suggest the propriety of taking
the pardoning power from the Governor
and Council entirely. and giving it to the
| Supreme Court, and by them to be made
use of only on discovery of new evidence
and after careful study of complete
copy of all the evidence in the case at
the time of the trial.
'.There has been no very material
change in the condition of the jails in the
state during the past year. There has
been an unusually large number of es-
capes during the year, which have been
in great measure due to the very inse-
cure condition Of some of the jails and a
lack of care on the. part of some of the
/ iailers and the men under them.
The Cumberland Jail is model OF
neatness and discipline.
'sThe Jail at Paris Hill is hardly wor-
thy of the name of jail. Five prisoners
have escaped and only those remain who
are too lazy to spend an hour or two to
dig outI