The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-10-09
KANSAS PRISON IN
NEED OF MUCH
The Prison Paper---The Bulletin---Puhlish-
ed in the Kansas Prison Tells its Read
ers Of Many Improvements Needed.
Should Build Prison Like the State Of
Minnesota Has. A Sanitary Prison is
Necessary to Reformation.

The state of Kansas needs to wake
up to conditions at the state peni-
Tertiary. Few realize how poorly
the institution is equipped, and how
difficult it is to even fulfill the re-
quirements of the law in it's man.
agement. The State Board OF
Health would utterly condemn any
private concern conducted as the
penitentiary is. by force of circum-
stances, compelled to be kept. The
Warden can carry out no successful
plan of sanitation anywhere in the
prison for the lack of proper facili-
ties.
To say that the cell houses are un-
sanitary and antiquated is putting it
mildly. In the first place they are
too narrow. Think of only four
feet in width for bed, chair and
other necessary furniture. There is
absolutely not room enough for a
man to comfortably stand, or even
rest in bed. The length is barely
seven and half feet.
But the size of the cells is not by
any means the greatest objection.
A man can, especially on a hot
night, hardly get his breath. There
is no opening, except the door and
a small, inefficient ventilator" at
the back, making it Impossible for
any correct circulation of air. Stand
ing in front of cell when man is
occupying it you are nearly choked
with the impure air coming out.
It is also dark in these cells.
Many of them never have had ray
of sunlight in them since they were
constructed over thirty years ago.
Naturally enough they are damp
and gloomy. No man can remain
long in such a place and keep his
health.
Surely the state ought to furnish
prisoners plenty of sunlight and
fresh air.
But the worst to be said about
these cells is to come. There is no
lavatory or toilet in them. A man
has to do what washing of his face
and hands he does IN little galvan-
lied pan. An old night bucket must
be kept in the cell, which cannot be
described in print. In the morn
ings, as the men march out. carry
ing these buckets to the sewer, you
want to get off the yard. II clean
illness is next to Goodness, we are
far from it.
Another difficulty in these cell
houses is that we are compelled to
keep men with contagious diseases
alongside of we'll men. A number
of men afflicted with tuberculosis
must be housed in close proximity
with men in good health. This is
totally wrong.
It is too bad for the state, when
the death penalty has been abolished,
to slowly but surely carry it out.
will not the great state of Kan
sas wake up and have constructed
decent cell houses? Common sense
and humanity demand it."
No physician, however competent,
can cope with disease and take care
of the accidental injuries under pres
ent conditions. He is handicapped
at every turn. and it is like man
fighting big fire with bucket OF
water. There is no convenient op.
Grating room, and the three wards
are in three different buildings. The
third ward is in the building for the
insane. What a place for sick
man! Small wonder if he would go
insane in such surroundings. We
need, then, an up-to-date hospital
building, and need it badly. Will
not our beloved state come to our
rescue?
The prison school plays no small
part IN the reformation of the prls-
oner. Many man comes here who
is poorly equipped educationally.