The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-27
PRISONS AND pooRHoUsEs.
Some Changes Are Rec commended In
Laws Governing Them. =

| some Changes Are Rec commended In
Laws Governing Them.
The seventh biennial report OF the
state board of corrections and chart
| ties has been completed and will be Is
sued from the press within a few days.
| Following are the renewed recommen-
dations to the legislature:
Flrs-That sentences to city prisons or
warehouses; and county jails for a shorter
period than ten days be prohibited and that
| provisions be made by law for cumulative
sentences to warehouses;, increasing with each
repeated conviction for the same offense.
| There is universal complaint from officers of
city warehouses; that five and ten-day sem
| fences demoralize the prison and do no good
to the prisoner.
Second-That it be provided by law that no
| board of trustees or managers of any state
! correctional or charitable institution shall
| have a majority of its members resident in
the county in which the institution under it's
charge is located. This recommendation Is
now amended to read as follows: THAT it be
provided by law that no board of trustees or
| managers OF any state correctional char
| liable institution shall have more than one Of
its members resident in the county in which
| the institution under its charge is located
Third-That all future appropriations for
buildings at the state reformatory be made
with the proviso that they shall be construct
| ed, as lar as possible OF granite from the re-
| formatory quarry; and that the labor Of the
! inmates shall be utilized to the utmost posi-
| BILE degree in their erection.
Fourth-That the state provide a residence
| for the superintendent of each state instftu-
ton separate from the main institution build
| ing.
This plan has already been adopted at the
| state prison, the state reformatory, the school
| for the blind and the school for the feeble
| minded. At the state public school a separate
| residence is provided for the state agent. In
| each case the plan has been found satisfactory
| and economical. At the St. Peter hospital
for instance, the portion Of the building now
| occupied by the superintendent family could
be readily converted into an admirable receiv-
| ing ward for new patients.
! Fifth-That liberal appropriations be grant
| ed for providing industrial training for the
| children in the state training school at Red
| Wing.
This school is we'll equipped in all depart
| ments, except that of industrial training
| which is in fact, one of the most important
branches Of the work Of the school, but in
that department the school is greatly de-
| ficient.
The board favors separate reforma-
| tory for women and girls, and want the
| SEE, COO appropriation asked for a WOm-
| ans ward at the present state reforlna-
tory.
The insane hospitals contain 5000 pa
| tients, while their normal capacity is
/ but 2,700, a condition which the board
says makes their keeping much more
expensive than it should be-
AT the st. Peter hospital the build
fngs are badly out Of repair. Those
at Rochester and Fergus Falls are in
| good repair.
The great need at the hospitals, aside
from more room, is employment and
| the establishment Of plants for light
| work, such as brush making, broom
making. carpet weaving, etc, is rec
/ commended.
The county system Of caring for the
| insane as carried out in Wisconsin, is
commended, but the system is said
to have been failure in other states
inc J,~fo
| Rochester, the board says:
The inebriate department of this institution
Is an eXcfescence. II the state is to maintain
| an inebriate asylum it should be a separate
and distinct 1nstttu ton Inebriates are not
| insane, ard their presence In a HOSPITAL for
| insane is injurious to both classes Of patients
The room occupied by inebriates is needed
for insane patients.
The report says the Fourth hospital
/ will be filed by1901, at the present rate
Of increase. The cottage plan for build
1ngs rs commended, but the board OBJ
Jects to ptecemeal building on the
ground that it Is too expensive for the
state. The board calls attention to the
T fact that the trustees are now asking
for 100000 for demonstrations and re-
| pairs, half Of which, the board saws
| might have been saved had the plant
| been erected as q whole. Similar condi-
| items exist at other state institutions
1t Is estimated that the Fourth hos
p1tal can be erected complete for 1000
patients for $750,000, and it is recon-
| mended that the legislature appropri-
| ate this entire amount at once to be
paid in sums Of $150,000 per year for
1--WE years. beginning July 81, Of this
! year. It is also recommended that
the appropriation be conditioned upon
the erection Of a. separate building FOR
criminal insane.
The parole system at the reforma-
q Sci fO IN0 kizfo
least 20 per cent Of the prisoners VIC
late their paroles.
The republication Of the poor laws
Of the state is also recommended, as
there are fifteen counties operating I'M
der special laws, which create a great
deal Of confusion. The board suggests
a bill on the following lines:
L. That continuous residence for one year
in any community shall establish a legal res
idence. and that time spent in a public ins;i-
tuition and time during which the pauDer has
received public aid shall not be counted to-
wards establishing residence.
z. That non-residents shall not be admitted
to state institutions except by special act Of
the state board OF corrections and charities
B. That alleged non-residents shall be in
vesdgated by the state board Of corrections
and charities, and If found to be residents of
another STATE CT county. may be removed
thereto at state expense; and if found to be
residents within the state, they shall be sent
to their proper residence at the EXPENSE of
the community to which they belong
4. Disputes Of towns and cities in the same
county with reference to the residence Of
paupers to be settled by the board of county
commissioners; the decision of said board,
or the decision OF the state board in state
cases, to be subject to appeal in district
courts.
8. Agents Of railroad companies or other
common carriers are forbidden under pen
atty, to bring paupers into the state or to
transfer paupers from place to place within
the state, either at reduced rates OF fare
or by free transportation, unless the ticket Is
accompanied by certificate signed by some
| public officer or responsible agent of some
charitable organization. saying that the per-
son Is going to his legal residence or TO
friends or to other responsible parties OF
that he Is able to earn q living and is being
sent to some place where he has definite
prospect of employment
3. The law empowers the state board NJ
charities to enter into an agreement with tha
authorities of other states which shall adont
concurrent legislation for the arbitration of
disputed questions between such states re
speefdng the residence Of insane persons
paupers and other dependents and for the
return of such persons to their proper resi-
dence.
| FRANKIE RICHTER,S TOUR.