New Britain herald., 1916-12-15

every forty-three prisoners, and>the salaries are as follows: Jailor, $1,2O0.l with two meals; turnkey, 800; guards4 $500; to $720; matrons, $500; physi-l ! elan, $500; clerk, $1O0. y
 Salaries at the state prison are asS follows: Warden, $5,000 and found;l deputy warden, $2,000 and residence guards, $660 to $500; physician, $1,J 050; clerk, s1,620. F-
 Salaries at the state reformatoryt are as follows: Superintendent s5,- 900 and found; assistant superintend ent $2,000 with rent; cell housekeep CTS, $1,200 and meals; physician (for} sixty-fve prisoners) $500 'aIlowancel for board at home;" clerk, $1,500 and dinners.
 Why should a guard in the country1 CTS If the state prison needs ones fo CTS If the state prison needs on forI every fifteen? Why should a matrony who is on duty ten to twelve hours per day, in charge of forty or fiftyy of the most difficult and irritatingJ prisoners receive $35 per month Qessl than the wages of a good housemaid) If any woman in this audience will volunteer to act as substitute for thel matron in the county Jail foH one hour3
 
 taxing, and responsible position it is The warden of state prison said: Fl would rather take care of 200 men than ten women.'
 As a result of this penurious poli- cy it is necessary to give to 'trusties' responsibilities which should be dis charged by paid officers, thus openingY the way for graft, favoritism and{ other abuses. It is to the credi+ of the jailer and the prisoners that these 'trusties, short-term prisoners, perform their unpaid work as well as they do.
 Tt has long been known and cer-1 tified by the officers of the New Haven fire departm ent that the womens de- partment is most dangerous fire1 trap. Even a layman can see that ify fire were to start near the staircase in the women's department it would be impossible to save the women for the reason that their windows are guarded by solid iron bars fixed in theY wall. The fire department has pro- posed a plan for fire-escapes which has never been executed.
 "The responsibility for the cortin- uance of the frightful hazard rests di- rect1y upon the board of county conn., missioners who cannot be acquitted l. of criminal negligence if the natural and probable result of their neglect should be realized. They can remedy this condition within the next six hours, if they will.
 "1'he condition of the men and woS men who are held for debt in ac- cordance with the laws of the state of Connecticut who, together with the witnesses, detained for the benefit of the public are kept in wretched quar- ters and are forced into association with convicts is pitiabIe, and calls for an immediate remedy.
 "It must be rem em bered, however, that nearly all of the inmates of the New Haven county jail, both those who are awaiting trial and those who are serving sentence are practically held as prisoners for debt. When d man is accused of any but the most serious crimes he is allowed to god free if he can furnish bail. It is not ecessary to pay @ cent of cash if he can find a responsible friend who will lend his credit as a surety for his ap- pearance at the time of the trial TwrN men are arrested for the same crime< and are equally guilty. The one man gives bail and is free to carry on his ordinary business and live in his own home. The other cannot give bail and has to go to jail.
 "The constitution and the laws pro- vide that every man shall be deemed to be innocent until he is proven guilty but New Haven county accords to these unconvicted prisoners exact- ly the same treatment as to those who are convicted, except that the convict- ed prisoner has the privileges of work ing in the factorys"