Evening journal., 1895-03-28
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
What the Law Makers Did in
Dover Yesterday.
THE WORK OF HOUSE AND SENATE

vention-DIstrict Boundaries of Will
mington Observation-Disclosures Notes.
STAFF Correspondence Evening journal
DOVER, March 23.-The prison re-
formers were given hearing by the
General Assembly during the noon
recess yesterday. 1t was given in the
Hall OF Representatives, Speaker of the
House McMullen presiding. Eloquent
addresses were made by Judge Wales,
Attorney General John R. Nicholson,
United States District Attorney Lewis
@ YandegrIft, Rev. Philip Cabsll Daniel
w. Taylor. Mr.. Vandegrifts address
was particularly eloquent and interest,"
ing.
The last speech was by Chief Justice
Lore and was most fofcible demonstra-
tion of the needs of the state In the
direction Of prison reform. 1t was as
| follows
1T is conceded by all who have given
the subject any thought. that the prison
system and discipline of this state are
sadly defective, and that some remedy
should be speedily applied Just what
4
difference
"At present in ths iails of the three
/ counties of this state, there are 2l0
prisoners, Of all ages. color. sex and
| grades and experience in crime, crowded
together In about fifty cells; living In
/ idleness, fostering under vicious hatits.
and becoming daily more hard ened from
such environments
4 Nc afapd lsnoqt afopa ~ Al.
four states of the Union, In keeping up a
prison system, that originated in the
centuries long ago and has not changed
for over 200 years This system has been
| denounced by your al physicians, by
/ your grand jurles, by the pulpit and by
the press, and is TO- DAY stencil in the
nostrils Of the people
| Temporary remedies have been sug-
| gested from time to time, but have been
abortive, for the simple reason that our
jail system Is radically wrong so that
nothing but entire change and heroic
treatment will cure the evil.
"Snch change Is now suggested. We
/ feel assured that you are in sympathy
with this movement That you are nc
less proud OF our state, and equally as
anxious to promote her bsst good as any
OF US, and that you will willingly adopt
any adequate remedy that can be found
some Of US have given this matter much
thought. By the expenditure of labor
and time in visiting penal institutions in
other states, studying their methods,
gathering statistics aud facts, and by
the careful examination Of our own
condition we have reached the conclu-
sion that a state workhouse Is that
adequate remedy. A bill for that
purpose has been prepared with much
care and is now before you.
"By it two hundred thousand dollars
are to be borrowed on the state credit.
The bill provides for the Board OF
Trustees Of Delaware State Workhouse ,
Which board is to be composed of three
members from each county; who without
pay for services, are to expend the two
hundred thousand provided BY the bill,
In erecting state workhouse on a
suitable site by them to be selected. Iu
this house when completed, all prisoners
Of this state who have been or hereafter
may be sc 1tenced to term or imprison-
ment, shall be put to work under the
control and direction Of the board which
shall provide such simple tools and
mex xpeDsive machinery as will meet the
varied capacities Of the prisoners.
The trustees must submit yearly
reports Of their doiugs to the governor,
and are positively forbidden to have any
personal pecunisry interest in the work.
by it every prisoner IL able, shall
work eight hours each day at some suit
able employment For any overwork he
shall receive pay, which may be expended
at his option for bis family, may be used
by him under prison rules for his personal
comfort, or accumulate and be paid Il
him at the time OF his discharge
The prisoners are to be classified anC
separated; the men from the women
and those Of tender years and new il
crime from old and hardened criminals
Obedience to the rules and diligenc,
Ia work will enure to the benefit Of ths
prisoner Dy shortening his term. Ths
abatement will be ave days in eacE
month for the first year, seven days Ii
each month for the second year, min,
days for each month in the third year
and after the third year ten days in eacl
month.
This is the Ohio system. approved b.
the United States and is generally con
ceded to be most effective
You will observe that there are thre
leading features In this bill
Il Humane and decent classification
and separation of the prisoners
p That every prisoner shall bl
taught to work and help support himself
20. That obedience to the rules, an,
: diligence in work, will bs rewarded BY
shortening the time Of imprisonment.
1.-THE prisoner who has learned to work
and to obey the rules, has made a goo,
! beginning in reform. He has learned t
| reverse the current OF his life, whicl
I quite uniformly has been one of idlenes
! and lawlessness. Under the encourage
: ment of this plan he forms habits o
obedience and industry. These grow witt
each recurring month, so that when re
9 leased the force Of his habit is seconde
Z by every instinct Of his manhood ant
I impels him to efforts Of selfhelp. Bu
I certainly need not enlarge upon thi
/ point in this presence.
"rhis outlines the plan OF the bill.
l 1t prscticsblei It has been obi bjscted tina
I this plan will burden the state wit
! taxation and debt, that the state is to-
small and the number of prisoners no
large enough to justify 1t. Let us see
"We have in New Castle county Jail a
average Of one hundred and eighty prison
. ers 10 Kent county twenty In Sussex ten
making an-average total of two hundre
A. =.