The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-09

Open Air-State Should Make Better
Citizens While In Charge Of Convicts-
Report Very Interesting
Prison Is Model of Sanitary Cleanliness.
The State Board Of Public Charities
1ed their annual report with Governor
Kitchin Thursday. which Is as follows:
This report probably contains more
items Of interest than heretofore on ac-
count of the recommendations the board
makes relative to the using of the conv1cts
Of the State. The question OF our roads
has brought in the question OF c~onvicts,
the same having been discussed very free
~ recently in the different papers. The
ooard In its report think that the farm
is the ideal way to care for the prison
population, but next to that they recon-
mend public works in the open air. a
point Of view maintained by the board
Is, can we lessen crime and make these
men better citizens while the State has
them in charge?
AS said before the report is a very
Interesting one and should be read very
carefully. The report in part follows:
The aggregate annual expenditure for
charitable institutions is S732.650. there
be NJ an increase of 500 600 in pensions.
The creation Of the school for the feeble
minded was a most notable act of the
General Assembly.
Completion of the improvements of the
several Institutions IS noted. Insane pres
ent In the hospitals on November Both
were 3,O13. -.nflcptics present November
goth. 2%3. New admissions during tn"
year OF eplleptics and insane, $50. Total
number of mental detectives cared for in
1911 were 3,429. We think the increase is
due to our enlarged facilities for caring
for our insane, rather than the increase
IN lnsanlty-except among the negroes.
There annears to be an increase Of the
mental disease in that race.
The States Prison.
The Central Prison is a model Of san
itary cleanliness. Many improvements,
involving little expense but much conve-
n'ence and comfort, have been added I'M
der the present management. The finan-
cial and physical conditions are excel
lent.
tuberculosis Camp for All Prisoners.
There have been seven cases of tuber-
cnloSis with one death from this disease.
These patients are cared for on the third
floor OF the States Prison in an i~nirnary
fitted up for their use.
We think that their care and possible
cure could be better undertaken in the
pure open air of the farm. There is a
resident physician and living would be in
expensive. An open hospital shack with
in = wire enclosure could be erected at
small expense. The number is not large,
and with the additional eases from the
county camps, for whom humane pEovis-
Ion should be made, it would stil be an
theSeI men q chance for cure and the
community protection.
The State Farm.
The State farm is the ideal way TO
we add to its present advantages. the
newer moral and mental quickening now
permeating the penal institutions OF the
world and substituting the Christian code
Tor the old "eye-for-an-eye" retributivo
justice.
1t Is to be earnestly hoped that moth
Ing will be done to cripple the develop
ment Of the farm. The farm itself has
been vastly improved during the present
regime. New machinery. new stables and
barns. miles of diking (reclaiming 1906
acres), q building for the women. thirty
of whom are employed there picking cot
t.. LIE as yet has been done for the
men. There should be new up-to-date
sleeping quarters for them. Lights. wa.
ter. heat. sewerage are needed. The build
ings are at present merely one story fran,
houses with rather crowded dormitory
space. But these faults have been o
long standing. growing out Of the TEN
porary- and the present super
intendent deserves unstinted praise TO
what he has accomplished in so short N
interval Of time.
Terms of Prison Directors.
According to the present law the term
of prison directors end Simultaneous,
every four years. This is one of the veal
links in our prison administration w
the directors Of the States Prison b
appointed in ike manner and with alter
mating terms similar to those of the edu
%cational and charitable institutions OF til
State.
Prison Population.
Prisoners at the state Farm ......... rs
Kallroad camps u
Central Prison G
Total remaining Nov. 80. 1911. un-
der board of directors ............ 81
Reported present in thirty-one coun-
ty camps 90
Figures for the eleven camps not re-
porting taken from last years re-
ports 81
no'di l,Ol
Present time Of report.
IN eighty four jails serving sentence s
In seventy-seven awaiting trial 49,. &C
Grand total prison population .....2.1G
OF that number 267 were awaiting tri;
ana 2.!O2 had been convicted. 1t must h
remembered that many in the jails an
camps are serving terms for misdemear
ors. The county camps have in chare