The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-01-05
F0R A REfORMA7ORY
GAY, NEAD's PRISON COMMITTEE
MAKES RIPORT.
Recommends an intermediate
Prison for Those inexperienced
in Crime.--Summary of Rec.
concentrations Made By the
Committee.

Committee.
OLYMPIA. Dec. 29.-Gov. Mead has
received the first draft of the report Of
thee ommittee appointed by him to in
vestigate conditions at the state peni-
tsntiarys Walla Walla. Among the
recommendations which the committee
will offer for the consideration Of the
legislature are the following:
Believing that the welfare Of the
prisoners, moral and physical, would
be promoted, the warden and officers
aided and encouraged and the COM
munity in general aroused to a greater
interest in matters so vital to the
state, we suggest that you recommend
law authorizing the appointment of
an advisory board of visitors, compos-
ed of representative men whose profes.
sion, education or occupation best fits
them for such appointment. The
members of such board should serve
without compensation except for ac-
tusl railroad fare, at the rate of 8
cents per mile.
Recommending an intermediate Prison
'In the state penitentiary located
AZ Walla Wallla are confined more
than 800 criminals of all classes. Be-
pinners in crime are forced to associ-
ate with old and hardened offenders
That the reformation of many begin
ners is rendered wellnigh impossible
BY this demoralizing influence is be-
yond dispute. Owing to the construc
ton of the building and the mode of
employment at the state penitentiary
it is almost impossible to separate and
class the men incarcerated here.
1.-THE need of an institution to care
for the criminals from Is to IS years,
to separate first offenders from associ-
ating with hardened criminals, to
afford the best and most modern meth
DDS of reforming the young offenders,
has been long felt in our state. As
it is, if the criminal is too old to be
sent to the reform school at Chehalis,
he must go to the penjtentiary, where
be is thrown into constant association
with those who have made crime their
av0catiOn.
I'VE, your committee, therefore
recommend the enactment of such leg
islation as may be necessary to COM
plish this, and we further recommend
that such an institution be located on
the west side of the mountains; that
said institution be so equipped that
convict offenders may be taught liter
airy branches, moral effects, trades
and proper physical branches.
Revolving Fund Discussed
with reference to the revolving
fund, which constitutes, as is well
known, the manufacturing revenues
Of the state penitentiary, we, your
committee, would respectfully recon-
mend that it be made a revolving
fund in fact, and not in dubious des-
ignation, as it may now be accounted.
Under the custom at present in
vogue. the proceeds of the jute mill
and brick yard are transmitted back
to the state treasurer, who, as we un.
derstand it, under former ruling of
the attorney general, holds them sub
Ject to disbursement solely at the dis
erection Of the legislative Assem- oily.
Thus they are withdrawn from utility
In behalf of the peniteutiary, a pro-
eeedlng manifestly unfair, seeing that
aportion Of the remittance represents
profits earned by p rison labor. In
lieu OF such regulation, Il refore,
which necessarily carries in Its wake
many and obvious endorsements,
we would respectfully recommend that
sum be appropriated by the next
legislature adequate in amount to op-
crate the jute mill from year to year,
and so legalized under the statutes az
10 be rendered accessibleto the state
board of control or the superintendent
OF the institution.
The Recommendation
In order to make this report OF
Your committee more easily grasped.
We append herewith q summary OF
The recommendations which we have
seen fit to make, trusting that these
may have been so stated in the report
as to be easily referred to.
"Filst-A separation of the en-
ployes from the convicts as far as pos-
sible.
Second-Modicflati of the ex-
treme form of punishment known as
losing.
"Third-Civil service for the en-
Payment OF guards and employees.
"Fourth-Increase in salaries along
the entire line.
Fifth Uniforms for women pris-
oners
"Sixth-Improvement Of the sewer
age OF the old prison and more sani-
tary appliances in the kitchen.
Seventh-rhe employ mont Of wo-
men in some active LABOR.
"Eighth-The enlargement Of the
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