The Prescott daily news., 1908-08-07
THE REPORT ISADOPTED
Penitentiary Board Receive and Adopt Report of Rev. A. (. Millar. The
 ssf Board Tenders Thanks

 of penitentiary commissioners in executive session Wednesday received and~adopted the report on the state farm conditions be- gun on July S, 1908 and complete ed July IT. by Rev. A. c. Millar, who had been- instructed by the board to make the investigation A vote of thanks was rendered Dr. Millar by the board for his work.
 The report including the evil dence is voluminous one, but the evidence which is the result of questioning 73 witnesses some of whom were free and others convicts, was not read before the board. This evidence will be gone over later by the officials
 The charges which had been filed, with the board by Dr. Rus sell, in which it was asserted that cOnvicts were inhumanely treated in various ways, that conditions under which they were compelled to live unsanitary and that they were brutally whipped. were all virtually substantiated.
 Dr. Millar finds among existing evils that convictS frequently have to eat their dinners in the sum-, that they are sometimes re- quired to work when sick. have been run to and from work, are cursed and abused by officials, that there is gambling allowed both among convicts and by off cials, that convicts have oppor- tunity to buy liquor, that there have been many cases of gross immortality among men and women convicts, that hospital facilities are inadequate, that prove the morals, that convicts seldom ever near the prison nrarely ever hear the prison rules read as required by the board, and that reports of whip pings are worthless, as there are no free witnesses to these whippings, the official perform nlg them simply reporting to the warden that such has been done. Many other minor evils are men, toned, and the report closes with a list of reforms suggested.
 Before beginning to name the reforms which are suggested Dr. Millar has the following to say Most of the evils at the state farm grow out of a system that is fundamentally faulty. l nee1 not make recommendations con- corning it because you yourselves are creatures rather than crea- tors of this system. The great est need is thoroughly efficient supervision" He then goes on to say that this is impossible for either the board or the superin- tendent as the board is depend- ent upon the latter official, and he in turn is dependent upon the warden and others whose char acter and conduct he himself may not fully know. Dr Millar here takes up the matters which he thinks will tend to correct the evils now existing. Punishments should be inflicted in the pres ence of the resident physician and one other free witness these these witnesses to certify to the facts on the warden report. Board should make it possible for abuses to be reported both by convicts and others. Immorali- ties, which are charged largely to the allowing of picnics in which dancing and indecent ex- posures are permitted, may be greatly diminished by the discon- tinuance of these practices. On this subject the report says:
 Tt is not enough to say that these things must be allowed in order that the prisoners may have a good time. They are not sent to the penitentiary to have a good time, and furthermore,the people of Arkansas do not stand for such conduct among those un- der public control.
 Dr. Millar thinks that the man. agement of the penitentiary should be placed in the hands of board who are not also hold ing other state offices.
 superintendent J. A. PitcOck of the penitentiary was seen soon after the submission of the reg port, but declined to make public