The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-07
House Committee Appointed
to Visit Penitentiary Com
pleted Its Work.
SOMETHING ABOUT CONDITIONS
WI B|CH EXIST IN INSTITUTION
More Room is Needed, There Being
But 100 Cells to Accommodate 24S
Prisoners-Some of the Convicts
Are Crowded Into Unsanitary and
Unhealthful Quarters.
(By George Davis.)


Bismarck, Feb. THE sub-com-
mittee appointed by the house to visit
the several state institutions, which
was composed of Representatives
Chapman and Streeter, has made
visit to the state penitentiary, and
while they have made as yet no Off
cial report, they have a fund of infor-
nation which will be of more than pass.
ing interest to the people of the state.
They were accompanied on the trip
through the institution by Senator's
Purcell and Freeman, and an exhaus-
tive examination of the condition of
the institution and it's workings and
needs was made.
At the present time there are in
the institution 243 prisoners, three of
whom are women, and they are cared
for and kept in better condition than
in almost any similar institution in
the entire country The means of
handling these prisoners is however,
certainly not in keeping with the pro-
gress of the state, and were it not
for the fact that Warden Boucher is
master hand at the work he is doing,
there would be trouble. With the 243
prisoners to care for, there are in the
cell house proper but 100 cells. To
these may be added few cells in the
hospital which are being utilized to
the very best advantage. In one room
nearly forty cots are arranged and
here the men camp at night in un-
sanitary quarters and surrounded by
every thing which is contrary to the
best discipline and the best reforma-
tory methods of modern penal institu-
tions.
1t might be remarked in passing that
the appropriation of $S0.000 which is
asked by the institution is for the pur-
pose of erecting additional cell room.
The institution should have it and
more if it is asked.
The Twine Plant.
The twine plant is one of the best
in the country and at this time gives
employment to so men-ten more
than can be profitably employed with
the present capacity. The institution
desires to enlarge this plant to much
more than it's present size-possibly
to double what it is now. The engine
and boiler rooms are sufficiently large
to do this, the only thing additional
so far as these parts are concerned
being the installation of additional
boilers and engines. 1t will also be
necessary to erect an additional build
ing for the manufacturing of machin-
cry. and to install additional ma
chinery But because of the magnifi-
cent business management of the
present warden, this can be done with
out any heavy expense to the state.
as there is now on hand consider
able amount of money-the profits
which have been made from the eco
nomical and business like admins
tration of the plant in the past-which
will be used for the enlarging the
same. The buildings can be erected
largely by the labor of the convicts
and the material except facing brick
can be manufactured on the ground
This has been true of the buildings
erected recently, the only cost being
the employment OF a boss carpenter
and a boss mason; even the plumb
ing, except in a few instances of in
! (Oonsiausl On page 81