The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-04-09
STATE PRISON REPORT
IS MADE PUBLIC
Conditions at Windsor Are Condemn
ed in No Uncertain Way.
Both Ex.Supt Cakes and Present Supt Lowell Come in
For Both Blame and Praise For What They
Have Done

Governor Bell today made public
the report OF the committee which has
been investigating state institutions
relative to the state prison at Wind
sor.
The report goes into details regard.
ing the condition Of the prison build
ings, The buildings at Windsor are
declared unsanitary, badly lighted and
heated and too crowded. The hospital
is unfit for use and there is no room
for night school for prisoners.
The prison wall and gates are re-
ported so dilapitated as to be unsafe.
Regarding the wonen's department
that has caused so much scandal the
report says;
1--WE find that the rooms occupied by
the female prisoners aud assistant ma
tron are in the upper story OF the CEN
trail building and two stories above the
guard room, that the rooms OF the ma
iron are on the first floor and the
rooms of the guards on the first and
second floors above the guardroom
There is therefore nothing to prevent
the guards from communicating with
the female prisoners and employees, If
they are so disposed. This condition
of affairs is undoubtedly responsible
for the scandals regarding alleged
criminal intimacy between the guards
and female prisoners and the criminal
intimacy between officers and female
employees as shown by the evidence.
"We cannot too strongly condemn
these existing conditions and recon-
mend that the stairway leading from
the officers dining room 10 the war
denis Office be extended or continued
20 tine woman's quarters on the floor
above, and tina, partition about
eight feet long be erected on the first
door above the guard room, which will
separate the woman department from
the hallway on that floor, and prevent
all communication with the woman S
department except through the office of
the warden. This department will not
be in a satisfactory condition until
provision is made for the care OF te-
male prisoners in a separate and dis
tinct institution
Miss Durkee, the matron, is criticised
for employing her niece, Miss Gertrude
Kimball at the age of 10 and giving
her charge of prisoners, resulting in
scandal.
The substitution OF plain gray for
the present prison uniform is advised.
The labor system at the Windsor pris
on is approved and it is stated that
this is one of only two or three self
supporting prisons in the country.
In view of the publicity which has
been given to the scandals connected
with the investigation of this institu-
tiou, we deem it Unnecessary and in
advisable to detail specific instances of
immoralites and feel it is sufficient to
state that we found the moral condit
ions which had existed between several
of the employees of the prison of such
a character that hey are reproach
and disgrace to the state and demand
che severest censure of the parties dir
ectly implicated and OF the officials
who are responsible for the discipline
and conduct of the guilty parties.
In view of the fact that Mary Rogers
has paid the penalty of her crime, we
do not think Unnecessary or advisablet to
detail specifically her career at the
Windsor state prison. She was kind.
iy and humanely treated while confined
in the prison and met her fate with the
same indifference that characterized
her life.
Regarding ex Superintendent Cakes
the report says
"Mr Cakes was appointed warden of
the State prison at Windsor in 1878,
serving in that capacity until 1883, when
he was appointed superintendent and
served as such until he resigned in
1905. During Mr. Oake's administration
the prison was placed upon paying
basis passing from deficit when he
took charge to a surplus in 1896 and
showing a surplus each year thereafter
during his administration, which APP
pears In detail in another part OF this