Evening journal., 1897-05-15

Total ...~... ...... ..s26, ,S42 4S
We had in Jail an average of one
hundred and eighty-three prisoners, |
one hundred and seventy-five of these |
under sentence. Not one of these pris-
oners contributed a penny toward his
own support. Every dollar of the $26,-
S42.48 was assessed and paid by the
taxpayers of this county.
Joseph James, the superintendent Of
the Chester county Jail, at West Ches
ter, where the work-house system is in
force, gives us the following results Of
that system there:
In 1896 they had an average Of fifty
four prisoners.
Gross cost. .... ..... .......$ .$S,6ll42
Materials made by
prisoners, cash sales So, ,06S.20
Stock on hand........ 1,52O54 4,5SSI4
net cOst..... ............. .9f,O1z;oo
Thus, while each lot of fifty-four of
our prisoners, in 1896, cost New Castle
county S7921SO, the same number in
Chester county work-house cost only
81. .6S, or S3,S9912 less than ours.
Under our system our one hundred
and eighty-three prisoners cost us last
year S26,S42.4S, they would have cost
in Chester county Jail $l3,4OS.93, or
| $13 1885 less than ours
If, therefore, we could only do as
we'll as our little neighboring Jail, al
West Chester, we would save the tax
payers of this county each year the
last-named sum of S13,433.55.
This sum in a sinking fund at four
per cent. interest in thirteen years
would amount to s202, ,S0S.32. More
than enough to pay off the entire bond
ed debt of 5000 600, and thus leave the
prison plant free, safe out Of our pres
ent political sewage prison system.
Mr.. James assured us that as the
number of prisoners increased, the rela-
tive cost of each prisoner yearly would
decrease. That this is reasonable and
true becomes apparent by comparison
/ with larger institutions. The daily
4 cost of each of the fifty-four prisoners
, in West Chester Jail was 207 cents;
the daily cost of each of the 752 prison
ers in the Allegheny county work
, house was 113 cents; the daily cost oi
each of the 600 prisoners in the pen
, intentiary at Philadelphia was cents;
, the daily cost of the 125 prisoners IN
, the Vermont work-house was l3 cents
We have taken the Jail at West Ches-
ter as a basis of calculation, because
it is small, the prisoners few in mum
ber and. therefore, relatively more eX-
pensive than large establishments.
One item of comparison is worty OF
note. We pay for food for each pris'
oner daily the sum Of 20 cents. Ches
e ter county had our system in 1889 anC
+ paid daily for food % cents. The.
r changed to the work-house system il
q 1898. The cost of food dropped at ono
> to 9 cents daily. Last year under MI
lanes superintendence the cost wa
!, reduced to GA cents daily. OF thi
. amount the prisoners earned one-half
y reducing the cost to 1-5 cents daily, al
against our costs Of 20 cents.
, Ii. therefore, must be manifest tina
with our large number of 1873 prisoners
: as compared with 54 in West Cheste
u iail. we can reasonably save enougl
, more to pay the interest on the bonde'
debt and absolutely save all cost to tn
county in excess.
The outcome then is that with 5000,
y 600 the land can be bought, the plan
u erected. all interest and expenses pai
u ont of that sum, until the work-hous
n is so perfected as to take the place G
our present county Jail. Then for thiI
a teen years let the county pay the work
"a house trustees what it is now payin
"a for present prison system, and at tn
I, end of that time the work-house plar
- will be clear of debt, save out Of tn
! present waste. and made a present
the county under the new penal system
,s Thereafter, in addition, our prison sy'
tenn will cost less than one-half
g what it does at present; but MOI
!, gratifying than all will be the fa'
4 that we will have established an IN
name prison system; in keeping wit
and abreast Of our advanced ciYillz'
tion.
o. In the West Chester Jail the too
lg and implements of the prisoners are
the simplest kind and inexpensiv
il They make everything used in the ia
st except provisions, and they also mani
" facture simple articles for sale that
IS, not come in competition with outsi'
g. labor to any considerable extent. III
superintendent says that the averal
IL convict will learn any of the differe
as employments in from one to three day
ng according to aptness. That they a
nd taught by the ordinary wardens.
's- One mode Of utilizing convict lab
wv might be road-making. If the wor
! mouse SnOuiu De loCdltu Oh Audi
* ground of one of our railroads and equi
M ped with steam crushers as part
Is the plant worked by prison lab'
M crushed stone could be furnished
the roads of the county and transpo
re- ed at moderate rates, cheaper tn
N any other good road-making materi
'si In 1892 the several hundreds Of Il
'nl county spent upon their roads, exc
'ea sive of some of the larger towns,
az following amounts.
on, Brandywine hundred ...... $6.42S
sss Christiana hundred ........... 6,553
New Castle hundred. ....... 6,129
Mill Creek hundred. ...... 6,S06
White Clay Creek hundred. 2,SS3
Pencader hundred ed......... BIG
|. Red Lion hundred. .... 1873
- ST. Georges hundred. .. 4,771
Appoquinimink hundred. .... 2,S34
Black Bird hundred. .... 2.406
a somewhat larger amount was sp'
on roads in 1896.