The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-17
THURSDAY. JANUARY II, 1901.
THE pEN,TENT1AHY QUESTION

THE PCNtTENTIAit1 9ClISIoN
The demand for more cell room at the
Virginia penitentiary is nothing new. In
his message TO the Legislature which as
sembled in December 1897, Governor
O,Ferrall said:
81 regret to say that the penitentiary is
q disgrace and reproach to the State, not
In its management. which has been all
that could be reasonably desired. but in
the character Of the buildings and the
fnhuman manner in which the convicts
are necessarily crowded in the cells. The
present buildings. with the exception Of
the building for females and a fourth tier
of cells for males. were erected a century
or more ago, and were intended to meet
the requirements of the State when
whites only were liable to Imprisonment
in the penitentiary. and the Whole white
population did not exceed half a million,
while now the population, white and col
cred, reaches nearly two millions. Prior
to the late war the number of conNscts
confined in the prison never exceeded,
am informed. three hundred, while now
about thirteen hundred are crowded into
it. in many instances almost as thick as
cattle in a railroad car, where. in all sea-
some, particularly in winter. they breathe
the fetid and poisonous air, and in sum-
,ner pant for breath when locked up for
the night. This wretched state of af-
fairs cannot be avoided by the Superin-
tendent, for the prisoners must be con-
fined and we'll secured. and he has only
the space the State gives him.
cit is unpleasant for me to give these
facts or lay them where the public eye
can see them, but it is my duty to present
them in this message to you, and l shall
not shrink from its performance; human
ity demands it: the credit of the State
requires il.
III the penitentiary was not self
sustaining, in view Of the necessities of
the State, there might be some excuse Tor
permitting its present condition To con-
1inue but when it is remembered that for
the last ten years the Commonwealth has
been receiving annually from the prison
a net revenue of $4,000 to nearly 100000,
the obligation to provide humane and
healthy quarters for the conricts cannot
be magnified nor can the States failure
he too severely condemned.
1.-The net revenue during the last fiscal
year was SOS, 6s4.75, or about S65 per capita
of the convicts. male and female. employ
ed IN the shoe factory, which is a much
larger revenue than any State, with
whose affairs / am familiar, receives
from her peritentiary, yet l know of
no State prison which is not superior to
ours.
NO time should be lost in the cree
lion OF a new and modern prison, suf-
hciently commodious not only for exist
ing, but future, demands. In this work
much of The labor can be performed, and
the stone procnred and the brick made at
the State farm. or nearer, if desired, so
that in the course of four years, at The
farthest, The structure can be com
pleted at comparatively little cost to the
Commonwealth. and without any APP
preparation beyond the net earnings of
the prison. 1t would be bad policy and
false economy to add to the present
buildings or attempt to improve their
condition: 1t would be a waste of money
That message Was sent to the Lesisla-
iure more than three years ago. At the
time the number of conyicts was about
1900 On October !, 1899, the number was
l5ai. an addition of 2i4 conYicts. and still
no additional room. If the condition of
the coDricts at the time that Governor
O'Ferrall wrote Was wretched and rliser-
able What ,lI.jsf ii be now with the adj