The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-08
DELEGATES VISIT
BIG PRISON HERE
AND PRAISE WORK
Heard City Jail Was in Bad
Condition and Did Not
Inspect It....Comment
on System.
OIl SYSTEM.

Quite par. : of the delegates from
the division on the punishment and
reform OF criminals spent yesterday
afternoon at state Penitentiary, In
specting thoroughly It's arrangements
and the syste..i on which 1t Is oper-
ated. Major H. j.. Morgan conducted
open house throughout the afternoon,
his callers keeping him and his as
sistants busy in making the round of
shops and Buildings.
Mr.. Amos W. Butler. OF Indiana. one
of the recognized authorities on pris-
on and reformatory methods OF the
country, was the leader of the party.
Mr.. Butler expressed himself last
night as being greatly pleased with
the condition of the ...stitution. prais-
ing especially its sanitary arrange
ments, and the orderly and syste-
matte manner in which the whole
place is kept.
"Of course. many Of the buildings are
old" he continued. Some of them date
back TO 1890. Major Morgan tells me
and. OF course. buildings of that age
hardly measure up to present-day
standards. Many modern Improvements
have been made. however. and UNDER
stand many more are contemplated.
I'VE went through the shoe shop"
continued Sr. Butler. personally,
am not an enthusiast over the contract
system for prison labor but in some
States perhaps IT is the best that can
be done.
Praise for Major Morgan.
your warden. Major Morgan. i'm
pressed me as being a remarkable man.
ali Ia ho tvya nF hi
work. said Mr.. George l.. sehon. OF
Louisville. KY. another member of the
committee on criminals. who was in
the party which inspected the peni-
Tertiary. Il think he is doing re-
narkablc work. considering the equip
ment lie has"
Mr.. George Wilson OF Washington
city. was equally enthusiastic in his
praise OF Major Morgan and his work
I visited your penitentiary eight
years ago" he said. I'm fact have
visited nearly all the larger peniten-
tiaries in this country. ! was greatly
IMPRESSED on going over the place this
afternoon to note the wonderful i'm
provement made in eight years. War
den Morgan Is evidently n capable or
ganizer and manager. The sanitary ar
engagements are very much improved.
We did not visit your city jail." con-
"
visitors expect to go there tomorrow.
believe We had heard that IL was
not in good condition. and as we were
looking for suggestions and helpful i'm
provements. we hardly thought, It worth
while to go there.
''rhe county and city jail" continued
Mr.. Wilson. is the plague spot on our
penal system. ! think you have made
a wonderful step in advance in the
establishment OF your convict road
force to take short-term men out of
the jails and penitent!aries and put
them to work AS I understand It.
there is nothing for the man In jail to
do. He is sentenced TO live six months
or year in idleness at the expense OF
the city or State. There is nothing
that he can do. Under our county Jail
system many falls have but few in
mates in small counties. and II is inn
possible properly to equip a small jail
for children and for women, and all the
other arrangements known TO our best
large jalls.
II should recommend a system OF
State tails as they have in England.
The system would be as YOU have
your insane asylums in Virginia, few
large well equipped institutions scat
tered in different parts of the State.
work houses where there Is work to
do. and where prisoners may be sem
fenced from that"secton of the State.
In the county or local Jail I would
keep no prisoner except those await
ing trial, and since his innocence or
guilt Is yet to be passed upon. there
hardship other than to see that he is
ga fa1y heJ