The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-21
STATE PRISON AND JAILS.
Report of the Prison and Jail Inspec.
tors.

The Thomaston Prison in Good Condition,
But Money is Needed for Renovating
the Buildings-The Jails Also in Salts
factory Shape.
Augusta, Dec. 90. The State Prison
inspectors, Messrs. Jones, Gilman and
Bailey, submitted their report to the
Governor and Council today. An alb
stract of the report is as follows
mo important changes or improve
ments have been made in the past year
except the completion of such as were
authorized by the last Legislature. Inc
affairs of the prison have been managed
i'll very satisfactory manner. The dis
cipline has been mild, but firm, the food
OF good Qualitysand sufficient in quanti-
ty. The manufacturing industries have
all been carried on at a profit, and the
stock of manufactured goods now on
hand is very clean and salable. The
punishments have been comparatively
few, and as rule the convicts have
manifested a disposition to so conduct
themselves as to secure the deductions
of time from their sentences allowed
them for good behavior. e
IT seems to lis that some method for
aiding discharged conv1cts, to some ex-
tent, should be adopted. The convicts
are now discharged from the prison,
each with q somewhat meagre outfit of
clothing and the sum of five dollars as
capital with which to again begin
life, which sum, in many instances is in
sufficient to defray their necessary ex-
penses the place from whence the State
has taken them. However DESTROYS the
convict may be, on his discharge from
the prison, of leading life of usefulness
he Is at the very outset confronted with
the strongest possible incentive to com
nit crime, being that of poverty. II
the State could do something to aid the
convicts at the time of their greatest
need, at a time when people regard them
with suspicion and the world treats them
with great degree of GOODNESS. we are
convinced that the results would justify
the expenditure. An appropriation of
$500 would, in our judgment, be suffi-
Glen for that purpose.
The law enacted by the last legisla-
ture, establishing an insane department
at the State Prison for the care OF the
criminal insane provides: that the ex-
pense thereof "shall be paid for by the
State by order of the Governor and
Council from prison appropriation" AS
there was no appropriation made Tor
the prison. except for specific purposes,
the expense Las necessarily been borne
siderable increase in it's outstanding liza
biliGies. The total expense for the sup
port. of the criminal insane at the prison
to November 80, 1894, is IS, 0s6.s9.
There has been no, appropriation for six
years for the current expenses of the
prison, while during the same period,
the expenditures have each year exceeded
the income. There are now outstanding
liabilities amounting to $685. 90, which
should be provided for by the legislature.
The success of the manufacturing in
dustires also REQ uires an APPROPRIATION OF
$4,000 for a working capital.
The large number of buildings owned
by the State and used in connection with
the prison, together with the necessary
wear of the equipment require an almost
constant outlay of money to keep them
in suitable repair.
Many OF the buildings are old and will
require more or less repairs until replaced
by new ones. An appropriation of 81, 900
per year is needed for the necessary re-
pairs on the buildings and equipments.
The lighting for the prison buildings
with the Knox Gas and Electric Com
pany, has, so far as the service is con-
cerned, been satisfactory, but owing to
the insufficient appropriation made for
this purpose and the desire of the in
spectors to keep within the appropria-
tion, only part of the lights have been
burned. The lighting company, not
less than 112 lights, have cut down the
number, to carry out this desire of the
inspectors and the prison committee of
the council. The entire building has
been wired at large expense to the
lighting company. and we believe it is
not only due to them, under their con-
tract with the State, but also to the pris-
hot oh hoy nc rynoH 1i0htiD1
service as other similar State buildings
that the legislature should make an ap-
preparation sufficiently large to fully
light all the buildings owned By the
State at Thomaston.
Werecommend the following special
appropriations by .he Legislature:
To pay outstanding Indebtedness
and furnish a suitable working
To pay the expense of the insane
department 50O0.0O
For repairs 'on buildings and
equipment for 1895 100000
For repairs on buildings and
equipment for 1896 2000 90
-----
= Total $24,000Ct
During the past two years our several
visits to the prison have been made IN
company with the visiting member of
the executive council, Hon. Waldo Petten-
gill, who has taken deep interest in the
welfare of the Institution and the sue
cess of its business affairs.
We take this opportunity of expressing
to him our sincere thanks for his many
valued suggestions and his uniform
courtesy.
We are also under obligations to the
warden and subordin ate oGcers of the
prison fer their courteous treatment and
attention.
The following table shows the assets
and liabilities of the prison:
ASSETS
Stock as per inventory S6S, 54574
Cash in hank 238.4S
Cash on hand 3S7 35
Insane department 1869
Old accounts receivable 350.S1
Old notes receivable 1924
Accounts receivable 1861 .06
S79,053 10
! LIABILITIES