Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-02-11
FOR CRIMINALINSANE
VISITING COMMITTEES MAKE.
THEIR REPORT.
Need of a Place Where Prisoners Cam
Get Care and Still BE Under Res
straint = Asylums and Industrial
Schools In Good Condition.
improvements Suggested.

improvements Suggested.
Madison correspondence:
Gov. Scoield sent to the Legislature
the report of the legislative visiting COM
mittee appointed to inspect the charitable
and penal institutions. The committee
consisted of Senator Woodwork and AS
semblymen Lewis and McGrath, and they
submitted long and very complete re-
port. Speaking of the insane asylums al,
Madison and Oshkosh, the report says
they are nearly full, that ut Madison hav-
ing~431 inmates and the one mt Oshkosh
633. Both are reported to be in excellent
condition, but it is suggested that the
draining of the Madison hospital into
Lake Mendoza should be stopped as soon
as possible
The report recommends that hospital
for the criminal insane be established ard
suggests that it might be made an adjunct
to one Of the State asylums. Arrange
ments would have to be made to isolare
the inmates, who would need more re-
straint than ordinary patients, but tho
committee thinks that could be done. The
report speaks highly of the Milwaukee
hospital for the insane, which has 36S
inmates according to the report. The
county asylums, numbering twenty-three.
are also said to be in good condition.
The committee recommends that a spec
cial appropriation of $500 be made for
the purchase of an organ for the school
for the blind at GAINESVILLE. The new
addition to that institution has been COM
pleted at a cost of $500 The school
now has accommodations for 200 pupils
and there arc 165 in it. The committee
says that the school for the deaf at Della
van is well managed, and it recommends
an appropriation for new heating APP
paratus.
All the day schools for the deaf, which
are located at Milwaukee, Eau Claire, La
Crosse, Oshkosh, Appleton, Fond du Lac,
Manitowoc, Wausau, Menasha and She
boygan, come in for good word from the
committee, and the Milwaukee school is
particularly praised. The committee
speaks very highly of the Waupaca home
for old soldiers and it recommends that an
isolation hospital and more cottages be
built there. The Sparta school for depen-
dent children, the committee says, needs
better heating and lighting plant ut once
and an appropriation is needed to furnish
the new hospital building.
The report states that the sanitary con-
dition Of parts of the Waukesha industrial
school Is very bad and new heating and
lighting plant Is needed there, also. Tho
committee recommends that better venti-
lation and bathing facilities be provided.
The Milwaukee industrial school for girls
was found to be in excellent condition.
The committee is lavish in it's praise of the
board Of lady managers. The institu-
ton is FULL with 2G0 inmates. 1t Is Sug-
gested that $4,000 be appropriated for
the building of another cottage and the
making Of some needed repairs.
The report outlines the history Of the
home for the Predetermined and praises
the work of the board of control in the
building Of the institution. 1t Is expected
that the home will be opened in April,
and that it will have room for $50 inmates.
Speaking of the Milwaukee house of cor
rection, the committee says that there is
no profit in the labor of short-term prison.
ers.
The committee suggests n number or
improvements in the State prison ut Wau-
pun. A new roof Is needed and q better
system of ventilation should be put in.
The report dwells upon the evils of put
ting all kinds of criminals into one prison
and makes strong argument for an in
terInedate prison. The question of prison
labor, the report says, is one of the grav-
est that the legislators have to deal with.
All the convicts should have steady and
healthful employment and their labor
should he rendered to the best advantage
of the State. There arc now 360 prison
ers who arc employed by contractors. Dur
ing October the State received from the
contractors $4,473.15, and in the samc
month paid out 81, 403.97 for free labor in
the prison. For the two years ending
Sept. 30 last the State received $1O3, 900 1
from the contractors.
The committee closes its report with
some strong remarks on the bad results
that follow from putting comparatively
innocent prisoners in the midst of hard
ened criminals and recommends that some
sort Of graded system be established IN
the State reformatories.