The record-union., 1893-02-10
JUTE WORKS AND STATE PRISONS
"A GOOD IDEA.

annex the island kingdom.
JUTE WORKS AND STATE PRISONS
"A GOOD IDEA.
Senate Bill No. It's proposes the ex-
penditure of Sl5O,OOO to buy and place
jute machinery in the State Prison at
Folsom. 1t ought to pass and for the
best OF reasons. The State now has at the
Folsom Prison splendid water power.
1t has cost the State practically very
little. 1t is power as lasting as Will be
the fall of rain and snow in the Sierras
that feed the American River. 1t is a
power that costs but nominally to main
tam. The utilization of such power should
go to furtherest limits, to conserve the
economy of prison maintenance, and to
Keep the criminal element there con-
fined actively employed, since nothing
could be worse for them and the State
than idleness, which is the enemy of all
punative and reformatory effort. 49,,
But the bill ought to be supplemented
by another looking to removal of all
the jute machinery at the San Quentin
Prison to the Folsom Prison, that the
cheap power may be applied to its use
instead of the artificial and costly power
in use at San Quentin. This would
eventually lead, possibly, to the discs
tablishment of the prison at San
Quentin or its transformation into a
graded reformatory, SO THAT we may
get away from the pernicious system of
herding all classes of criminals together,
system that actually makes prison life
school for the cultivation of criminals,
New York long ago discovered this
truth, and has in part corrected it by her
Auburn, Elmira and Sing Sing prisons,
enabling the tyros in crime to be sepa-
rated from incorrigibles and from those
who teach others in the way of crime.
However long-look ahead this NAV be.
some day we must come to it, and the
sooner the better.
Natural advantages of location and the
cheap water power indicate Folsom as
the proper location for the chief prison,
which is to confine the elder criminals
and those whose reformation is less likely
to be accomplished.
We understand that the people of Marin
County disapprove of the further growth
of San Quentin as a prison of the charac-
ter 1t now maintains. This suggests that
it is inevitable that third prison depart
ment must be added to our system, and
1t is understood that bill is in prepara-
ton on that line looking to the establish
mont of State Prison in the southern
end of the State.
1t ought to be done, because population
is thickening there and will continue to
do so. The more it does the more the ex-
cessive cost for the delivery of prisoners
either to Folsom or to San Quentin will
augment. In fact, this charge is already
enormous, and the excess of the charge
against the counties under this head Will
in very few years meet the cost of main
tanning prison there.
That there are localities in Southern
California favorable to the location of a
prison in that tier of counties is unuues-
toned. Aside from its economy, it will
be wise because it will give us prison
system which will enable the State
eventually to separate her prisoners into
classes, in both the north and south, in
stead of transporting all prisoners to
practically one point.
1t is not necessary. however, in locat-
ing one of the system of prisons in the
south. that an appropriation should be
asked for at this session. 1t is not prob
able that such an appropriation could
now be had in view of the many de-
mands already made upon the Legis-
lature; but it will be sufficient to indicate
the State policy now, for these matters
are not matters of speed. We need to
proceed with deliberation and great care
fulness. While, therefore, the cheap
water power at Folsom is being brought
into use and the State is setting up ma
chinery for jute works there and looking
to the removal of the San Quentin jute
machinery to Folsom for economic rea-
sons, the Legislature can well instruct
the State Board of Prison Directors to
search out and report locality for the es-
tablishment of State Prison in one of
the lower counties. Until the board be-
gins to make the search we cannot know
what the cost will be, what power can be
had, etc.
If locality can be found in Southern
California where water power can be ap-
piled to machinery it will be wide step
in advance for the proposition. The
sooner, therefore, that the inquiry is put
on foot the better it will be. AT the next
Legislature we shall have all the informa-
ton necessary, and the whole scheme
will have matured.
The State Prison Directors should re-
port to the Governor on this subject not
later than the close of the summer of
1894, that the Executive may have ample
time to present the matter to the Legis-
lature fully.
In this connection, while water power
for the new prison is one of the matters
to be looked into, it will be wise to con-