The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-30
DISGRACE TO THESTATE
That Is Board of Charities Re-
port ON Kansas Jails.


The county iails of Kansas come in
for probably just denunciation from
the state board of charities and correc-
tions in the forthcoming report of the
board. OF course all the jails are not
pad, but the majority are not what they
should be. Many of them are 50 bad
that the board denounced them as
disgrace to civilization The board
says:
In a general way, the jails of the
state are disgrace to civilization. Most
of them are both unsanitary and unsafe
There is no uniformity whatever in the
construction and management OF jailS.
Each board of county commissioners
seems to have ideas of its own with re-
gard to Jail architecture and each sher-
/ III has his own peculiar notions of treal
ment and care of prisoners.
Our Jail system, with is promiscuous
confinement of comparatively innocent
! first Offenders with hardened criminals,
I and those who are only accused of
crime with the convicted felon, makes
our jailS schools of crime, Thicn gradu-
ate year by year an increasing number
4 to prey upon society. That lail construc
ton is fundamentally wrong which does
not admit of separation Of prisoners.
Careful students of prison reform unan-
lmously recommend separate confine-
ment of prisoners:
! .'Eirst-Because of wholesome effect
upon first offenders.
''Second-To prevent the eontagion of
crime resulting from company OF the
! comparatively innocent with the har-
dened criminal.
.'Third-As a surety against escapes,
and to prevent a combined assault upon
Sheriff or guards.
"Fourth-As a means of disciolining
vicious prisoners, solitary confinement
being the most effective method known.
/ ''Fifth-To protect the better class of
! prisoners from association with low and
| G0DrdXGQ characters.
In one OF our wealthiest counties was
| found in the county Jail a boy of 10
years, whose only offense seemed to be
| that re was q tramp. He was confined
with prisoners of the worst class. A few
weeks of association and influence such
as that boy was receiving will gradu-
ate him in the school of crime and make
him a confirmed enemy OF society.
In several states where state inspec-
ton is practiced, authority is given in
spectors to condemn jails where they
are found unsafe or in very unsanitary
condition. We think this should be done
in this state We would also recon-
mend that no iails be allowed to be
built until the plans have been passed
upon and approved by the state board of
charities. This is the practice in states
having state inspection. as ours now
hac.''
The report will recommend that a con-
siderable acreage of farm lands be add
d to the grounds of all the state charl-
table institutions except the school for
the blind at Kansas City and the school
for mutes at Olathe. which are really
schools and not charitable or corrective
institutions. It is argued that there is
nothing better for people with mental
troubles than proper amount of labor
out of doors in the open air, but at pres
ent there is not enough land in connec-
ton with the state institutions to sup
ply this.
OF 5s3 patients which have been sent to
the Osawatomie hospital for the insane
during the last two years. 139 were farm
ers, 13S are given as housekeepers. IS as
common laborers, 10 as miners. The rest
are scheduled as follows: