The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-07-07
THE COUNTY JAIL.
As ElsWEb BY THE STATE BoAkD Or CifAks
It4Es AND CORRECTIONS;

As NlswED BY THE STATE BoAkD Oh CHAKs
IHEs AND CoRREcrroNs.
In 1891 the appointments Of Board Of
Charities and Corrections was authorized BY
an act of the legislature, whose duties ara
In part to investigate all CHI irritable andcor
rectlonable institutions in the state, ana ex
anime iuto the condition and management
thereof, especially prisons, intirmaries, pubs
iic hospitals, poor FARMS and asylun,s. In
pursuance of this act the board made an exs
haustive report to the governor and teEislaI
ture, in which the Benton county institu.
tlons COME in for a fair share of criticism.
Speaking OF jails ih general, the report saysl
" Benton, Clatsop, Washington, Wasco and
FOLK are among the counties we'll able I'd
provide decent jalls which continue to shut
prisoners up i'll holes in which scarcelv 4
breath of air stirs. Taken as a whole. in it'd
construction and equipment, the Jail Of Ben.
Ton county is the greatest SUM of all thin ps
a Jail should not be. 1t is a small brick
structure, standing iii the yard under ahs
shadow OF an imposing and costly courh
mousse to which it is constant repfoach,
A little less extravaganza in building a-coutS
house would have left ehodgh to have built
good Jail and saved the county from .ths
oarharity OF maintaining dungeon hols
that would be disgrace to a semi.ciyilized
community. Nothing but ignos
rance of the interior of this Jail cain explain
the Indifference of the people 6f Benton
county to its existence i s,.
In another portion of the report, after
describing the Jail in detail. it says: ..Bens
ton county can offer no excuse for main.
tanning such vile prison pen The court
yard Is 2OOx300 feet in size, and in the cen.
ter OF 1t stands one of the finest courS
houses In the state, built three years ago. al
a cost OF $65,OO0, and fitted up at an adtii.
tlonal cost of $4,000 When this money
was expended a portion should have bsen
used to build good Jail. Failure to do this
Is the only excuse offered for not building d
new Jail, as the taxpayers think enotgh has
been paid out for improvements II the tax.
payers would take a look at the interior OF
the Jail, they might change their minds. AZ
all events they would not be impressed with
the wisdom or humanity of those who speas
SO much building monument to county
pride, and neglected to remove this greater
monument to the county's disgrace. When
the court house was built jail could have
been arranged for in the basement with little
additional expense, by building the bases
ment walls little higher. Bnt, as it is,
little OF that portion of the building is now
utilized. The objections to using it are, that
the ceilings are TOD low, the windows are TOD
small for good ventilation and tho bassmeus
Is too low for satisfactory sewerage. There
Is plenty of room in the Jail yard fol. sepa-
rate Jail structure, an Arrangement at all
times preferable to having jail in the base.
ment OF the court house. The board has NOT
seen these plans, and does not know how
suitable the proposed structure would be for
Jail purposes, but is of the opinion that d
suitable Jail should be built immediately, OF
the present one entirely remodeed and re.
built. Every grand jury for years has con-
demned the Jail severely, hut no board of
county commissioners has paid attention I'd
>->o S'ASASSAA' A1NCu VIC TcqucSt u VIC
present sheriff to have glass put in the 'front.'
windows, the iron covering the air holes on
the sides cut out and water closet put in,
has been refused. The cost of Transforming
the present Jail into good one, with stesl
cells, cement floors, large windows, closet.
sink, etc., has been estimated by an expert
at 5000, but proposition by him to do
the work at that price was declined. Until
a better Jail is provided, this fine court house
must be continual reproach; rather than q
source of legitimate pride to the county au-
thorities'
The report also handles the old city jaik
without gloves, and suggests improvements
to the county poor house: but as there have
been changes as to these Institutions the
structures are not now pertinent The vol!
un1e embracing the report is adorned with
well.executed cuts of the old calaboose, the
jail appearing very Insignificant. indeed, bes
side the magnificent court house; represent:
ations Of tile former poor house and the
rear portion OF the new city hall are also
given. -.-.