Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1920-01-16
Finances Good At The "Pen."

In the fiscal year ended September sc
1919, the Maryland Penitentiary wiped gu
deficit of $38,9O5.91 and ended tn
year with surplus of $21,072.36 and il
In such sound financial condition that nj
appropriation for the current year is needed
for either improvement or maintenance
The figures are from the third annual re-
port of the State Board of Prison Control
Of which Charles T. Crane is chairman
DR.. J. Hubert Wade treasurer and Franz
Metzerott the other member. Robert D.
Case is secretary.
But the board asks for the continuance
Of the annual appropriation of $4,000
for the House of Correction. 1t also asks
that the State Lunacy Commission be
given 100000 for the purpose Of remov-
ing the criminally insane from the peni-
Tertiary and the House of Correction and
placing them under proper care elsewhere,
as the board considers it impossible to
care for them adequately in these institu-
tons.
These institutions are said to be in bet
ter condition. both as to the care of pris-
oners and as to finances. than at any time
since the board was created. The report
repeats the recommendations for the i'm
provement of the House of Correction
growing out of the investigation last spring
Much space also is devoted to contract
labor. and the conviction is expressed that
some permanent system of prison labor
other than the contract system should be
established in the near future. All writ
ten long-term contracts will end by Octo-
Der |. Of this year. and the board has not
entered into any other written contracts
thus leaving it free to install whatever
system is decided upon.
The earnings of the penitentiary were
$3.50, 836.99 and the operating expenses
were $2S0,246.25. which left a surplus Of
9.590.74 on the profit side of the insti-
tution's ledger. After the deficit of the
preceding year was paid from the appro.
priation of $50. 387.53 the total surplus
was $21,072.36.
The amounts earned by the prisoners fol
themselves by overtask and bonuses to-
tailed $71,146.04, which was more thar
$4,000 more than was ever earned by
prisoners in any previous year.
The House of Correction had profit OIL
nearly $4,000 for the year. but $4,000
was used in completing the water and
sewerage disposal plant. $4,000 used fol-
installing new engine and generator and
other uses brought the cash surplus down
to $i93.49 at the end of the year.
Special attention is called to the dis
satisfaction of the board with employment
of the prisoners on State road and quarry
work at irregular intervals and also to the
number Of escapes during employment on
road work. The board recommends the
passage Of an act by the Legislature i'm
posing heavy penalty on those who are
recaptured after escaping while employed
outside the institution.
In regard to the criminal insane, the re.
port says that the State Lunacy Commits.
sion has not complied with the laws re-
quirine the commission to remove all crimi'
nal insane from the penitentiary and House
of Correction on the ground that no funds
were available for such purposes. 1t wal
stated that the commission should be com
PEELED to discharge its duty under the law
and for this reason it was suggested tina
the commission be given enough money
to comply with the law.
From the tables of statistics it is learned
that in the penitentiary So prisoners art
serving life sentences. one for 70 year.
and one for 35 years. while the highest
number are in for five years. Most of the
inmates were between 20 and rs years
old at the time Of conviction. the majority
are hative-born Marylanders. while Russia
Italy and Germany lead the foreign coun,
tries. Only one prisoner is an avowed
atheist, while 238 are total abstainers.