The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-18
JUDGES UANI No gHlIIIE
RAMSEY COUNTY JuBIcIARY Is
STRONGLY AGAINST pro
POSED JAIL SFFH
THEY FORWARD A PROTEST
In a Letter to the County Commits
sioners the FIRES, nt IL Near
by Site Is Strongly
Favored.

The judges of the Ramsey@county dis
trict court are strongly in favor. of To-
eating the new county jsil on the court
house square, in proximity to the present
court house. In letter forwarded to
the county commissioners, the judges
say:
I'VE are advised that you are taking
action TO locate and build a county jail
upon property situated some distance
from the court house. In view of the
inconvenience in the transaction of pub
lie business and the expense to the TAX
payers which must result from such a
location, We deem it our duty to call
your attention to facts with which we
are made familiar by reason of our Off
cial position and Wnicn you and others
may nave overlooked.
The Jail of this county is not-a place
of punishment, but a pace for the tenn
porary detention ofepersons charged with
crime while they are awaiting eXamin-
alton CIR trial 1t is essential to the
speedy and most economical disposition OF
the various criminal cases brought before
the district court that the persons charg-
ed with crime should be kept in close
proximity to the court. After Indictment
OF any person NO step can be taken in his
case unless he is present in court. In the
process of disposing of a CRIMINAL case, as
prescribed by law, every defendant is
brought into court several times, often
as many SIS half dozen times, and some
times more. Frequently it happens that
II llOl OSIcTIulHeu W1ldI Gas e
will be taken up for trial on particular
0ay-until the court meets in the morning.
The prisoners ought to be kept where
they can be quickly and easily brought
into court. Delay means not only incon-
Venlence, but increased expense. The
greater the distance the more delay, and
the more machinery necessary If the
Jail is situated at the place proposed,
prisoners must be brought through the
prominent streets Of the city, either on
loot. or in a conveyance provided at the
expense of the court They must neces-
sarlly be in irons, AID sufficient guards
must be provided to insure safety. 1t
mas been suggested that there could be
an underground passage provided. It is
safe TO say that it will be found imprac-
passage thousand feet in length for any
such purpose. Such a passage would be
IN constant use. and must of necessity
pe or large size, with a footWay wide
enough Tor several persons, and it must
De properly lighted and ventilated The
cost -of constructing and, maintaining
Sucn a paSSageWay would be very con-
siderable, even though there may already
De tunnel in the street made and used
py another institution, and for other pur-
poses The delays and inconVience oc-
casloned by locating the jail at dis
lance from the court house would con-
dnue for all time, and the added expense
would continue and would increase from
year to year.
"A mistake in the location of the iail
cannot be corrected, and the results are
SO far-reaching that before the matter is
lrreVocabfy fixed, the circumstances and
necessities should receive very careful at
tention.''