The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-01-04

for the safekeping of prisoners against
whom there is a great deal of popular
indignation.'
The board asks, though, whether in
Liew of the nationwide tendency to
take prisoners ont into the open and
also cf III abundance Of land at the
state fam ii would not be wise grad
ually to develop The penitentiary out
there rather than TO eXpend any con-
siderable amount of money on the
present Columbia property.
In favor Of its suggestion that the
directors of the penitenliary consider
the removal Of the prisoners to the
state farm, the state board of cnari-
ties and corrections argues that the
assembling OF all The prisoners at one
plant properly classified and provided
for would centralize the management,
making the occupation, discipline, su-
pervision and reformation of the pris-
oners more varied, simpler to main
tain, more effective"
The report points out that industries
could be developed al state farm. 1t
says, too, that the removal of the pris-
oners to state farm would be less ex-
pensiye than keeping them at Colum-
bia, for the reason that the present
o7eThead expense at The penitentlary
"can apparently not be reduced, no
matter how small the number of pris-
oners, while at the same time the pres
ent force of guards could handle 500
prisoners as easily as the 119 present
at the time of our November inspec-
ton"
MOllify Conditions.
If these recommendations are put
into effect they will mollify consider
ably the conditions Of the prisoners,
as the board says in its report eve
were told that the prisoner is confined
in his cell from about sunset to about
sunrise during the week, and from 3
o'clock in the Afternoon on Sunday un-
til about sunrise Monday morning"
The board is also recommending the
employment of dentist to visit the
penitentiary at regular intervals, and
the employment of a matron to have
charge of the female prisoners.
The board is printing in its report
some interesting figures furnished to
it by Superintendent Griffith of the
state penitentiary, on the finances OF
the institution. These figures show
that since he became superintendent III
January, 1899, Col. Griffith has paid a
$4,000 debt he found charged against
the institution, purchased for the
state cut of the earnings of the pen
i1entiary 1885 acres Of land at a total
cost of $31,44325, erected buildings at
the penitentiary, state farm, the negro
reformatory at a cost of $96,SO4.S8
made additions and repairs to build
ings costing $32,8S1.3S and purchased
machinery and equipment to the
amount of $9,93S.79.
Besides buying land, erecting build
ings and purchasing equipment, Col
Griffith has from time to time, put
back into the state treasury a totai o.
s12O,OO0 of the earnings of the state
penitentiary.
The state board of charities anf
corrections says in its report that from
data furnished to it by Col. Griffith I'll
will be seen that during the seventeen
wears he has served the state as su
perintendent of the state penitentlarl
he has produced over and above wha'
| it cost to maintain the institution the
enormous total of s254,93Q,"
The report of the board points ou
that all this has been produced with
out a cent of appropriation from the
state for the state penitentiary.