Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-04-04

Following is the address delivered by
Chief Justice Lore to the Legislature, on
Wednesday, in advocacy of the bill pro-
viding for q State workhouse:
II is conceded by all who have given the
subject any thought. that the prison sys-
tenn and discipline OF this state are sadly
defective, and that some remedy should lie
speedily applied. Just what that remedy
should be Is the point Of difference
At present in the iais of the three
counties of this State there arc 30 pris-
oners, of all ages, color, sex and grades
and expcricncein crime, crowded together
in about fifty cells; living in idleness.
fostering under vicious habits. and becom-
ing daily more hardened from such en-
vironmcnts.
We stand almost alone of the 44States OF
the Union, in keeping up prison system,
that originated in the centuries long ago
and has not changed for over POD Years.
This system has been denounced by your
jail physicians. by your grand jurics, by
the pulpit and by the press, and is to-daya
stencil in the nostrils OF the people.
Temporary remedies have been suggested
from time to time, but have been abortivc,
for the simple reason that our Jail system
is radically wrong so that nothing but en-
tire change and heroic treatment will cure
the evil.
Such change is now suggested. We feel
assured that you are in sympathy with
this movement That you. arc no less
proud of our State and equally as anxious
to promote her best good as any Of IT'S, 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 visit"
ing penal institutions in other States,
studying their methods, gathering statis-
| tics and facts, and by the careful examina..
sfs II Nad
| the conclusion that State workhouse is
that adequate remedy. A bill for that
purpose has been prepared with much care
| and is now before you.
BY 1t $780, 900 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 COM
| posed of three members from each county;
| who without pay for services are to ex-
| pend the $4,000 provided by the bill, in
erecting State workhouse on a suitable
site by them to be selected In this house
when completed, all prisoners of the State
| who have been or hereafter may be sem
fenced to term of imprisonment, shall
be put to work. under the control and di-
rection. of the board; which shall provide
such simple tools and inexpensive ma
chinery as will meet the varied capacities
of the prisoners.
The trustees must submit yearly reports
of their doings to the Governor, and are
positively forbidden to have any personal
pecuniary interest in the work.
BY 1t every prisoner if able, shall work
eight hours each day at some suitable en-
ployment For any overwork he shall
receive pay. which may be expended at
his option for his family, may be used by
him under prison rules for his personal
comfort, or accumulate and be paid to
him at the time of his discharge.
The prisoners are to be classified and
separated; the men from the women, and
those of tender years and new i'll crime
from old and hardened criminals.
Obedience TO the rules and diligence in
work will enure to the benefit of the pris'
oner by shortening his term. The abate-
ment will be five days in each month for
the first year, seven days in each month
for the second year, nine days for each
month in the third year, aud after the
third year ten days in each month.
This is the Ohio system, approved by
the United States and is generally conceded
to be most effective.
You will observe that there are three
leading features in this bill,
/. Humane and decent classification an
separation of the prisoners.
2. That every prisoner shall be taught tc
, work and help support himself
, g. That obedience TO the rules, and dill
|
, ing the time of imprisonment.
The prisoner who has learned to work
and to obey the rules, has made a goot
beginning in reform. He has learned Il
reverse the current of his life, which quit
uniformly has been one of idleness anC
lawlessness. Under the encouragement o
/ this plan he forms habits of obedience ant
l industry. These grow with each RECURRING
| month, so that When released the force o
: this habit is seconded by every instinct o
his manhood, and impels him to efforts o
: self-help. But certainly need not enlafg
: upon this point in this presence.
i. This outlines the plan of the bilk Is
. practicable2 1t has been objected that thi
plan will burden the State with taxation
and debt, that the State is TOO small an
the number of prisoners not large enougl
: to Justify it. Let us see.
i We have in New Castle county Jail a.
!. average of 1870 prisoners; in Kent county
90 in Sussex county. 10, making a.
average total of 30. We pay for pre-
visions alone for each prisoner in NeN
g Castle county 20 cents per day. or S75 pc
{ year in Kent county. % cents per day an
: S9l.25 per year; and i'll Sussex county. J
: cents per day and Sl00,5 80 per year. So thu
!. for provisions alone ..--.
y New Castle county pays yearly at least. li0l
j Kent couny. .,..'......''''''..''''' ~
/ Sussex county,. ........".............' l,bl
= Total............,....,... .s............ sls,o
Investigation shows this amount to
l. within that actually paid.
Under the woilhouse system in til
Eastern Penitentiary of Pennsylvania
b where the number of prisoners is somt
IS thing over 1000, and they are compelle
l. to work for their support, the net dali
It cost for each prisoner, for provision
., clothing, fire, light, water, shoes med
cines, incidentas, wages, house and &c
% furniture and tobacco, is only BIO cen
:, per day, 5000 per year. This won
Ie make the cost for 30 prisoners for oil
year Sc, 360.90 or about one-third of Il
amount which we pay Tor provision
alone. viz SIS 500. BY shis rule we al
" paying yearly $l2, 1910 over the cost
,s keeping prisoners.
:, In West Chester Jail, with only 40 pr
~ ~ oners. the net cost for like articles, IS
~ cents per day, ($25.55 per year., white
W would be for S2lO prisoners for one yea
m $3.50. 90. less than one-third of what Il
,e provisions alone cost us. viz: SIS. 5O0.u
I'd by this measure We are paying SIS, ia,
more than the actual cost OF keeping theI
The discrepancy would be much mo
marked if we take the total cost Of mai
n. tanning the prisoners under our prose
w system. such aggregate cost being
Ia excess of s3S 10000 yearly.
ty These are startling facts and figure
on We are paying more than three times
~ much for provisions alone as our sist
~ State under the workhouse system pa
for the entire support of each prison'
~. Examination of the results in other stat
in the Union shows that these figures d
about an average. 1t would be an inst
", to assume that in the lines OF econor
he Delaware cannot do what other States
I'll doing daily.
ty. Let us apply these results to our VOL
II. house plan. We propose that the ST.
ril shall borrow S200,0O0 to build and equ
!lY her workhouse, on bonds running