The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-12

VI AhT SAl ililltifutUl OF the UenlfenfldFY
subject to the control of the Board Of
Directors, by and with the advice Of the
Governor. It's site should be a healthy
one and it should be purchased with
view Of making 1t a permanent prison"
THE law restricting the superintendent
10 working eonyicts within twenty miles
OF the city Of Richmond should be re-
pealed, and he should be authorized TO
use the funds Of the institution for the
purchase Of the farm and the erection
Of the necessary buildings on the same"
I'VE have upon our statute books what
Is known as the recidivous act This
act imposes five years additional impris-
onment upon a convict for second con-
viction, and a life sentence upon a third
conviction. While this may, at the first
glance. appear harsh, / think IL is the
true theory for the suppression Of crime
Whenever 1t is clearly shown that a
man is a professional criminal and Is
determined 10 make his living by preying
upon his fellow-man, and that there Is
no hope for his reformation, the peniten-
tiary is the proper place for him. In
order to enforce this law properly, more
perfect system OF Identification than we
are now using must be adopted.
There is a system known as the Der
and this is the only one known by which
criminals and escaped convicts can be
identified beyond doubt. II is quite sim
pie and easily understood, and yet when
measurements by IL are accurately Ia
ken. there can be no doubt whatever
about the Identification. The Wardens
Association OF the United States has
adopted It, and from a central office Of
the association can b. obtained the
criminal history Of every felOn whose
description has been taken by this meth
cd. II would be easy TO furnish courts
I'm which criminals are tried with infor-
nation OF the most reliable kind as "a
former convictions not only In this state,
but I'm every other State using this meth
Cd. ard thus enable the time for such
second and third convictions 10 be added
at the time OF the trial instead OF In
curing the extra expense and trouble
OF again carrying the prisoners TO court.
1 woulG recommend that this system be
adopted for our prison"
"The law provides that the superln-
tendent. with the consent and advice OF
the Governor, may establish a system or
taskiug the prisoners where II can De
done. and a reasonable compensation
allowed for work done beyond this task.
which shall be placed TO his credit, ana
Maid 10 him when he is discharged; or,
If he requests 1t, portion be sent 70
his family; or, II he so desire IT, II may
be paid to him from time TO time In
provisions or other articles from stand
ing list 10 be prepared by the superin-
tendent and approved by the Board OF
directors Under this arrangement the
prisoners have expended for groceries,
etc. Sl2020.30 in the past year, when mas
enabled them to purchase the Dttle lux
uries craved by the appetite, but not
furnished by the State, and has been
conducive to good discipline, and en-
couraged them to do their task more
cheerfully
Last year 1 called attention 70 the
large number OF young who ind their
way into crime and prison life, and urged
that some other method Of punishment
be adopted besides that OF placing them
IN direct contact with the vicious ana
hardened. and thus confirming them In
their evil WAYS. | would suggest that
a suitable building should Do erec.ed
on the State farm, when purchased Tor
their accommodation. When received at
the penitentiary all prisoners shouIu DC
graded by the superintendent. IhoSe IoT
serious offences and long terms suited
for contract work lnslue the vans So
he retained in the main prison, while
the short term men, the boys the old
: and the infrm, should be sent to the
branch prison on the farm and put In
separate squads, where the boys could
he trained 10 work and taught at fixed
hours the elementary branches OF a com
mon school education.
"Since my last annual statement In
which 1 reported al additional story TO
the main prison building and the remod-
cling OF the front offices, we have equip
ned the shoe shops with an automatic
FIRE extinguisher and erected water
tank TO furnish the necessary pressure.
The yards have been paved and the lot
near the stables has been filled in, a
large amount OF earth having been secur-
ed from the foundation OF the Hotel
Jefferson for that purpose. These I'M
movements are substantial and valuable.
The haif-acre lot on First street. be-
hanging to an estate and adjoining the
State property. upon which we're several
old diiapidated buildings, occupied by ne
yroes many OF them ex-conyicts, ana
ali NJ them very undesirable neighDors,
was nut upon the market at auction ana
your Board wisely, / think, decided 10
Purchase IL. This was done at the fair
value Of $50 per foot.
81 have had the good fortune to secure
enough earth to I'LL up tnis LOT also
and we have thus been enabled 10 ex-
tend our entire eastern BOUNDARY 10