Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-22
IN CLOSE QUARTERS.

For many years past the attention of
the LEGISLATURE and the public has been
called 20 the necessity Of providing more
cell-room for the male convcts in the
Virginia penitentiary.
That necessity still exists. The State
farm has relieved the penitentary of
few hundred of its population. and the
conditional pardons act has proved bene-
fetal in the same direction, but not to
the same degree, yet the prison continues
crowded TO an extent discreditable to
Virginia and baneful to its inmates. Our
full duty" to the prisoners VIII not have
been done until each Of them is provided
with a separate cell. That provision was
made long ago for the female convicts,
but the men and boys are herded to-
gether in cells having an average num-
Der Of five or six. In some OF the larger
rooms as many as twenty-five mon are
confined together.
When IL is remembered that these cells,
big and little, are without sewer connec-
lions and are ventilated in the most
primitive and meagre fashion, and that
their doors have TO be locked from sunset
TO sunrise, the public may imagine in
what impure air the convicts live. Be
fouled as is the natural air, II Is not
worse than the moral atmosphere which
prevails in those horrid dens.
The packing of prisoners In our pent-
Tertiary will be a standing reproach to
Virginia so long as IL is continued The
people of the State would not permit It
20 last another year If they understood
the situation thoroughly. But they do not
understand 1t. The newspapers can but
scant the situation. Some things cannot
be printed. But the legislative commit
tees, the visiting ministers, and the peni-
tertiary management know the evils OF
the present system, and have been un-
ceasing In their urging that additional
cell-room be provided. And their insist
ence Is all the more reasonable because
the pententiary pays a large net profit
info the public Treasury every year The
State ought to be ashamed hereafter to
use those profits for any other purpose
than the amelioration OF the condition OF
the convlcts, whose labors are represent
ed by them.
There have always been two difficulties
in the way of securing the appropriation
needed 20 enlarge the buildings- Our State
has a narrow margin Of income above ex-
penses. and then the PRISONS tables OF
mortality do not show that the death
rate Up the Virginia penitentiary is un.
usuall Some gentlemen seem 10 think
that II the condition of the cells be as
bad as represented 1t ought to show In
the death rate. Certainly II is to the
credit vf the physician and management
Of the institution that the death rate is
not above the normal for prisons, but,
perhaps II the statisticians could follow
the prisoners 10 their homes, after their
discharge, they would find that the harm
done was much greater than is generally
suspected. But really. is there were no
other ground for demanding more cell
room. that OF cleansing the moral atmos-,
pherc of the prison would be all-suficient.
Let visiting ministers and sunday
school workers labor as they may. they
can hope TO make but small Roadway
could hardly be worss--despite the best
efforts Of humane and intelligent man
agement-and cannot be better Til the
crowding OF the cells is reduced
Really. each man ought to have ~ cell
20 himself. but It seems idle to hope that
the State will be able 40 spare the money
for any such Improvement as that But
any sort OF improvement that Is within
the resources OF the Treasury would be
welcome. Something can and should he
done II cannot be true that the situa-
ton rs altogether beyond the States abili-
ty TO remedy. The trouble has been
hitherto to arouse public attention and
to md practical method OF enlarging
the buildings at a reasonable cost. We
hope both Of these results will be accom-