The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1897-09-23

grades. Prisoners in the highest grade
are allowed to have musical instru-
ments which they are allowed to play
at certain hours; (the same arrange
ment exists at the Eastern penitenti.
airy of Pennsylvania. There is no cor
poral punishment; prisoners breaking
the rules lose their grade, or may be
confined in cells in the cellar with ordi-
nary food. For extraordinary offenses
confinement in dark cells, with bread
and water diet is used, but is seldom
found necessary. The aforementioned
industries are followed:
Joiners, 30 men; woodcarvers, etc., 81;
woodturners 8; carriage work l; black
smiths, 16; tinkerers, 2; painters, III;
shoemakers, II; saddlers, 3; tallors, o;
masons, 3; weavers, 4; oakum picking
and mats, %; weaving baskets for bot
ties, 2; sorting coffee, 2; copying, q;
kitchen work, 2; laundry, 2; house
cleaning, 3; fremen, 8; blankets, z
Some very fine cabinet work is done.
Not much opposition to the sale of the
goods has been experienced of late
years. The net earnings of the prison
for 1893 were 800 or about 1O1a cents
per day per prisoner. The prisoners
are allowed for their special benefit
not to exceed twelve ore about four
cents per day.
This was the best administered pris-
on that 1 saw. The warden is an in
telligent student of penology and an
equally intelligent student of human
nature. 1 was strongly impressed with
his views of the separate system; the
more so because they were based upon
a conscientious administration of the
law as he found it.
AN ENGLISH PENITENTIARY.
The Portland convict prison was
visited August 10, 1897. This prison
is located on the British channel in
the south of England, about 24O miles
from London. 1t is "public works
prison." the convicts being employed
in quarrying stone and preparing ma
terial for the extensive breakwaters of
the harbor of Portland and Weymuth.
1t will be remembered that all of the
British prisons and jails are admins
tered by the "Home Office" Prisoners
are first sent to short-term prison
like Norwood Scrubs or Pentonville.
They are subsequently transferred to a
prison where they work with other
convicts by day, and are separated by
night; and finally they are sent to a
public works prison" where they work
out of doors, and in the latter part of
their sentence a certain amount of lib
erty is given previous to the release on
parole or "ticket of leave"
The Portland prison is located on a
high bluff containing extensive stone
quarries. There are also fOundries
and blacksmith shops This prison
formerly contained 1900 to 100 prison
erS, but the number is now much less,
there being only SSS at the time of the
visit. The prison buildings are very
inferior, especially the cell buildings.
The cells are only 4x7 feet by feet
high, separated by galvanized iron par
titions. One cell block consists of
wooden cells with wooden floors. 1t is
both insecure and inflamable. These
cells are uncomfortable, cold and noisy
They have been condemned and new
cell houses are to be built as rapidly as
possible. During the first months
each prisoner is kept in his own cell,
and cells 7x15 feet and 9 feet high are
provided for this purpose. Only ID
prisoners were found in these separate
cells, for the reason that many prison
ers spend their first nine months at