The Press., 1905-07-12
TOLLAND COUNTY JAIL COM
MITTEE REPORT.

MI EE REFON L.
The special Jail committee, COM
posed of Representatives W. L. Hig-
gins of Coventry, F. F. .Patten of
Stafford Springs and w. HI. Hall of
Wilmington, made it's report at a meet
ing of the TOlland county representa-
.tives last Wednesday afternoon. The
county's system was pronounced all
wrong. The committee told of hav-
ing visited other institutions and par
ticularly spoke with approval of the
Brooklyn Jail, where the prisoners
last year cleared for the county
80, 900. The committee reported that
the jailer should devote all his time
to the county. All his receipts and
perquisites were listed and it was
shown that while the salary is $500,
the aggregate in his favor is -, 125
year "plus what advantage he has
derived from the prisoners work OH
his farm and other farms, and get
ting ice, etc., and for which he gave
us no adequate idea"
Continuing the report says: "In
passing permit US to say that we have
no adverse criticism to make as to the
care of the Jail or of the prisoners
themselves. We do not charge, nor
do We intend to insinuate, that there
has been any dishonesty on the part
of the jailer, but simply to state that
he has taken advantage of conditions
as he has found them and as the COM
missioners have for a long time per-
mitted them to exist.
"The system which permits such a
condition of affairs is a discredit to
Tolland county and should be imme-
diately changed, and we suggest that
the county, through its representa-
tives, request that the commissioners
shall require the deputy jailer to de-
vote his whole time and attention to
the interests of the county, system
in vogue in all of the other counties
of the state In accordance with this
system we recommend that the deputy
j
perquisites. We believe that the
present salary of $500 per year, with
tenement and board for a family of
four persons, would be ample compen-
sation for the deputy jailer, so that
he might devote his whole time to
the duties of the position and to the
best interests of the county. We re-
spectfully suggest that the commits
sioners and jailer devise ways and
means to employ the prisoners accord
ing to law and in such manner as to
make their work remunerative to the
county.
"We would also recommend that
the county commissioners be empOw-
cred to buy some tillable land near
the Jail, in order that a portion at
least of the products of the farm may
be raised by the prisoners 1t is also
our opinion that Jail clothing should
be bought for the prisoners, and that
when they are brought to the Jail to
serve sentence the Jail clothes shall
be worn by them and their own
clothes shall be returned to them
when their term has expired. This,
we think, will be saving in expense.
1t would be a good plan, also, to buy
more of the necessaries at the Jail at
wholesale prices; at least to buy many
of them in larger quantities, as can
probably be done at some decrease in
cost. We would advise, in order to
simplify the book keeping, that all
bills be made out in the name of the
county"
The committee also presented lot
of statistics which tended to show
something the matter in Tolland coun-
ty Jail conditions, and closed the re-
port as follows:-
"The experiment. having been made
several years ago in our county to de-
velop some indoor industry, and it
having resulted in loss, we have ar
rived at the conclusion, from the best
information we can get, that with
the board of officers who are in SYM
pathy with the plan that some out
side work, such as farming, cutting
wood and ice, and also working ON
land owned by the county, would be
best adapted to our need and condi-
tions'' ....
In accordance with the report the
committee presented the following
=
Resolved, That the county commits
sioners be instructed to buy some land
and such animals, poultry, tools, farm
etc., as in their Judgment
is deemed best.
Resolved, That the deputy jailer be
given salary of $500 per year, with
the privilege of being janitor at the
court house at 800 per year, and al
so that he be entitled to the use OF
the tenement at the Jail, and that he
has the privilege of boarding family
of four persons at the expense of the
county, and the commissioners shall