The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-02
doormat shop, stocking factory. or shoe

we nave Cell fTOCtIl lOI ltllJ "Oii~h
They are very easily handled and are.
altogether, an Industrious set. We need
no particular improvement there.
There rs no doubt that IL the State
would give,us the old Arsenal Building,
we could utilize the building in many
ways. 1t would be just the place for our
hospital. We are badly on for a TAILOR
shop and for other workshops directly
connected with the prison, such as ear
penter shops, paint shops ana machine
shops, but the main thing We need Is
the room, so that the statutory provisions
of the law can be complied with, n
the prisoners sent here to solitary con-
1nement can be SO kept, sand the Grim
inals so separated that their conditions
will be improved by proper associations,
rather than be further contaminated by
bringing accidental prisoners In contact
with men who are naturally criminals nnS
and who spend their time plotting
THE STATE RESPONSIBLE.
The State is responsible for the scan
neglect, The plea has been poverty,
but an examination of the Treasurer's
accounts shows that the States big cash
box has not been empty, and that much
money has been spent on other %institu-
tons. The State cannot say that 1t did
not know the condition OF affairs IN the
State Prison. Governor Green and GOV
ernor Albeit advised legislation in their
messages
The State Charities Aid has exposed
the defects of the institution, and Head
keeper PATTERSON lfdS -
several years to secure legislation that
would enable some Improvements to be
made. Side issues We're always dragged
into the agitation. A. one tme nheTe
drifted into a controversy, and the New
Jersey State Prison convicts were be-
coming more debased.
the Legislature in 1890, presented briefly
the exact condition of affairs that existed
then, and which has greatly increased
4 - r. - EfD1I CfaRa OriGn nrnnnV
has accommodations for 700 convicts,
and, owing to the increased numbers,
every available place is occupied; four
are in the large cells. while the ceils IN
but one prisoner, are In many places
compelled3to accommodate two: 1t Is an
evil which should be remedied at once.
Not only is the present enforced crowd
ing against the intention of the law,
but it is injurious to the health, morals
and discipline of the prisoner. There is
room, but for a detached building for the
use OF a hospital. Happily, no contagi-
Gus disease has broken out, but, II such
a calamity should occur. there Is really
no place to properly quarantine the
sick.
made for the purpose of providing i'm
proved facilities for water and drainage,
no money has been available for that
purpose, and this crying necessity has not
been relieved. The moral instructors also
urge the want OF proper ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
for religious services"
GOV. ABBETT's CONDEMNATION.
When Governor Albeit was f~nausurated
the second time, in his inaugural mes.
sage, he took up the same strain OF
thought, and very severely criticized the
State for violating the statutes in refer
ence to State Prison convicts. He said
The condition of affairs in the State
Prison calls for immediate action. 1t is
demanded by every consideration of hu-
mainly, and by the best interests of the
of the State Prison undergoing punish
ment. The accommodations are only SUI
ficient for 900. The provisions of the law
which demand separate confinement OF
each prisoner are necessarily violated. 1t
to obey the law. If the people of the
State knew, as do those in charge of the
prisoners and the placing of more than
one in each cell, there would be an i'm
perative demand for legislation which
would carry into effect the law requiring
the separate confinement of prisoners. II
the Legislature would investigate this
subject, a, condition of things will be
found to exist which should not be tof-
Grated one moment beyond the time to
remedy the evil.
In 1891. in his message to the Legisla-
ture, he continued to direct attention to
these abuses, and said
The evils arising from theo vercrowding
81 the State PTsfs0frs a7s 50 grave and
| serious that / recommend to the courts,
as far as possible, to send prisoners to
recommend sthe passage of an act sim
liar to that approved May Is, 1883, for
| the parole or conditional release of pris-
Prison. 1t car be so modified as to avoid
the Constitutional objections suggested by
A SLIGHT RELIEF.
In his message to the Legislature In
| 1893, he said
Under the provisions of the law requir
ing separate confinement for each Grim
| inal in the prison, the act cannot be COM
plied with because the number sent to
the prison greatly exceed the limit, and
if it were not for those released on par
don or parole, the condition of things in
the prison would be intolerable by reason
OF overcrowding.
There was an act passed in 1890 which
provided3for the creation of a commits
committee of the Legislature, was to have
charge of the erection Of a new wing at
an expense of $4,000 No commission was
appointed that year because of the lack
an agitation was made for a commits
sion, it was found that the law was in
operative, because it named athe joint
committee of 1890 and it applied to no
other. "A bill was passed giving authority
to the prison authorities to acquire the
property now occupied by the State Ar
senal, but there was no provision made
for the erection of a State Arsenal, so ii
was not signed.
TIL Joint committee of the Legislature
nave visited the prison and gone over it
carefully, and Senator Lewis A. Thomp-
son Of Somersstfc county, who is Chairman,
states hat tho committee in Its report to
the Legislature will recommend prompt
action In providing additional accommo-
dalton at the prison, so that the law
that requires separate confinement can be
carried out. They will recommend the
erection of a hospital apart from the
prison, and that the apartments o
used as a hospital be arranged for re-
ligious services
The Board of Inspectors of the Prison
will make similar recommendations. 1t is
not known now what Will be the recon-.
he know himrelf until he has visited tbs
institution, which he will do on January
7. Headkeeper Patterscn's recommends
lions will be of the same character. II
his report to Governor Werts he makes
the following statement:-
SENSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS.
! Within the prison, whilst religious in
fuences are kept in full activity, the
means Of reformation as aided by the
| classification of the convicts, the sys-
tematic separation of the more
orderly indolent and utterly dapraved
are sadly eurtailed by the restriction O.
prison accommodation, there being today
only 700 cells for 1,02S prisoners. Bestia
practices and new lessons in every kline
Of crime are being daily taught through
this necessary infraction Of the law
which requires punishment by solitary
confinement.
Again, within the prison the reforma
tory virtue OF labor, as expected by al
its reformers. Is in this prison, to
\ o,cfJsrah J~ aevtepf haaattrA If jnS1Ifd