Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-25
THE CROWDED CELLS.

The Petersburg Index-Appeal makes the
following remarks on the subject OF the
penit, atisry.
III the penitentiary pays $S0e0 year
into the State treasury after defraying all
it's expenses. as the reports of its officers
show. the Commonwealth is neXcusable
for the deplorable state of affairs that ex-
lists at that institution. Accor ling % the
statement of the Board of Directors. l,2O
male convicts are confined Ia 100 cells.
This is an average OF a fraction above
to the cell. a correspondent OF the Balti-
more Sun says that from 20 TO 80 men
are crowded in some of the large cells,
while as many as are huddlcd in "A cell
not more than fee, wide. This Is sug
gestive OF packing cattle into stock-cars.
and Is positively jisgraceful. II l. pro-
motive of filth, disease. immortality and
crime. III the Commonwealth cannot see
its way clear TO appropriate money from
its ordinary sources of revenue, Tor the
enlargement and Improvement OF the ac-
commodations for its criminals, there GER
tainly ought TO be no objection 10 making
such use of the surplus earnings of the
convicts In few Yeas. at the present
rate of net earnings. the institution could
be enlarged and improved so as 10 give
reasonable assurance that the health of its
inmates might not be needlessly subjected
to risk and also to serve the purpose OF
reforming the criminals. which Is the in
tent of the law in providing places OF con-
finement for the vicious. The present con-
ditiOn of the penitentiary Is crying
shame; the net surplus OF $4,000 year
suggests the remedy. Shall the remedy be
applied and the disgrace blotted out? 1t
is a question for the next Legislature
The position that the Index-Appeal takes
on this subject is the correct one The
crowded condition of our rententiary Is
q disgrace TO Virginia. So far as we know
or have heard. no other prison in this
country is so horribly crowded. And no
more men car be sent TO the farm, with
out reducing the force of prisoners that
the contractors are entitled TO have
The public can't understand the misery
of overcrowding unless II considers the
following facts: That. necessarily. the men
are nut into their cells at dusk. and that
except in a case OF life or death. the cell
doors are not opened till sunrise-a pre-
caution necessary TO prevent escapes. Fur
thermore. filled with evil doors and bad
air as the cells are. the prisoners nave 10
eat therei-there being no dining-room
ar mess-hall connected with the penlteh-
tiarv. Several governors board after board
of directors. surgeon after surgeon
and superintendent after superintendent
have stated all these facts to the Legisia-
t,re: but the only relief afforded has been
| in purchasing the farm. As we have salu'
| the working force in the prison cannot DE
reduced below the present number ana
the farm has now given all the rellet
| that in the nature Of things II is capable
| of giving. III short, the penitentiary must
be enlarged--or the present crowded con-
| dition must continue. The Governor or
the State. and the Board of Directors and
Superintendent of the prison are power
! less TO prevent It, They protest and
nlead-that is all they can do. Public sem
timent must be relied upon TO do the rest
Virginians shouldn't be wasting their
sympathies upon Armenians and Cubans
while a state Of affairs such as THIS
exists in their state prison. And mas
much as a new Legislature is to be elect
ed next fall it would be well for all who
would have Virginia's name rescued from
| Disgrace to see to II that rs many as
nossible of the members elected come here
pledged to vote the profits OF the institu-
| tion TO the enlargement Of the cell build
l fro