The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-28
OF PRISON NORTH
A COLLECTION OF DILAPIDA TED AND
RICKETY BUILDINGS.
Prison Itself Is in Good Condition, hut
Money Is Needed il Ii Is to BE
Made n MOdern Institution.

All lidi ne lll(tI u II II tASOl -NNA IA
have said in other official reports regard
ing the antiquated and dilapidated condi-
ton of its buildings is true. There probably
is not a penitentiary in the North in which
$50 men are confined so out of date and
in so general a condition of dilapidation.
The buildings which are. not old were so
poorly constructed that they must be pulled
down.
The cellhouses were built in 1866 and 1917.
The cells can be made comfortable for one
man in each with some expenditure for
ventilation and heating. The steam heating
is worn out. All the pipes leak and are
fitted up so that they cannot convey heat.
The water used TO make steam is as bad
as could be found for such uses. II is an
iron destroyer. Last Saturday the men hud-
died about a few large stoves on the low
er floor to keep themselves warm. The roof
was probably good at one time, but now
parts of it are like a coarse strainer. These
buildings can be ventilated by the use of
fans to drive hot air into them in winter
and pure air in summer and the sanitary
conditions could be made good if water
We're brought from the lake.
The cellhouses, however, are the best
buildings in use for the prisoners. The
four years ago. 1t has been condemned. It's
1t is liable to fall any day. And yet this
building is so important that the prison
can scarcely be run without it. Under it's
roof is the dining room. the cook rooms,
storage of food, the chapel, and. strange
to say, the hospital. The building was con-
Structed without the aid OF an architect
and without a real plan. An architects
services wOnld hAVa cost SA1 or t4DD. An
ex-convict, a mechanic, was employed to
save that amount, and now $4,000 worth
of buildings must be taken down If they
do not anticipate the action OF the Legis-
lature by falling down. Whatever else is
done, the replacing of this building seems
essential, and when the new building is
planned may the architect see the absurd
ity of placing the hospital over the rooms
in which the food of $50 men is cooked. to
be filled with the penetrating doors of cab
bage and onions. Possibly a cunning econ
omy caused this present association of the
sickness and the cuisine of the prison-the
smells OF cooking food sustaining the sick
and the thought of the sick hindering the
boarderS from overeating.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
The water is bad. All of it comes from
wells sunk into the a or from artesian
wells. The water of the latter has an odor
compared with which sewer gas is pleas
ant. DR.. Hurry has declared the water
about as bad as water could be. Still. of
$50 convicts, not over twenty-five are in
the hospital. Thus does sound health, plain
food and moderate employment resist the
alleged pestilence which is ambushed in
water and proclaims itself in defective
drainage and ventilation. Next to the re-
building Of the falling building of 1893, the
INTRODUCTION of pure water from the a *
is the greatest need of the prison. 1t is
estimated that 1t will cost $4,000 to give
the prison a full supply OF pure water from
Lake Michigan. The drainage system OF
the prison is good, and can be made the
best without much expenditure.
Most of the workshops are in a dilapi-
dated condition. The roofs are broken and
the floors are in decay. Still, most of them
can be utilized because of the patching
of past years. The warden's house is an
aggregation of old buildings, a part OF
which is said to have once been a stable.
The roofs leak and the exterior is not
creditable to the State; But. lest this re-
mark should be misunderstood 1t may be
we'll to say that palaces, sumptuously fur
nished, should not be provided for officers
in charge of the States penal institutions
Those who have visited some of the hos
pitais ana VINO have examined some OF
the bills for the furnishing of superintenG-
ents' and wardens' houses have expressed
establishment at the high prices paid for
articles of luxury. During the past year a
house was built for the deputy warden. II
has been given out that it cost $4,000: as
q matter of fact the cost was x3,0S3.4o. This
is a moderate cost compared with the ex-
pendture for officers buildings in some
other institutions. Large and elegantly fur
nished houses are not needed. The warden
should have a house; it is not probable that
Mr.. Harley desires a mansion.
CONDITION OF THE PRISON.
The prison seems to be in an excellent
condition. Mr.. Harley is proving a capable
warden, and that means very much i'm a
prison. The discipline appears to be excel.
lent, and is maintained without severe pun
ishment. Citizens who have been interested
in the prison for years say that the food
given the men was never so good as now,
despite the small cost. The prison is on
a paying basis, and yet much more could
be done both for the State and the prison.
ers if there were better facilities. A large
part of the convictS cannot read or write,
many desire TO be taught, but the wretched
at one time. while the chapel cannot now
be used because it is dangerous.
To make a modern and comfortable pris-
on at Michigan Cit would require a large
sum of money. One of Ex-Governor Mat
thews's trustees says that S2O.Og0 is needle
ton. That the Legislature cannot give
Even II II voted the money IL could no
be expended in two years. While the con
VictS are iii the prison the work must 90
on. part AT a time, so that only a part oi
the amount needed can be expended i'm one
or two years. The two pressing demands
are the rebuilding of the general building
that has been condemned and the supplying
of the prison with pure water from The
lake. The warden should have n hons.
other repairs can go on as they are most
needed, but before the Prison North shall
be put upon a fair footing. as much none,
as the officers nave suggested seems to bC