Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-24
REPORT OF LAST
SON.
ERSET co. JAIL

jail at Skowhegan is as follows:
The sheriff is John A. Mooers;
present tenure of Office dates from
January /, 1919. He had previously
served the county for four years in
own turnkey and lives with his fam
lily at the Jail. The present calendar
shows visits during the last two years
by the Board of Prison Commission
ers as follows. Feb. 20, 1919. Commits
sioner Boynton: March 20. 1920, Com
missioner Hargrayes: Aug. 26, 1920,
Commissioner Boynton.
The sheriff receives an annual sal
airy of $1400 in full, both for his
services as sheriff and turnkey. The
allowance to the Court House jan
itor, Carroll Viles, for his services in
preparation Of food for prisoners Is
$500 annually. The Jail has a max
imum capacity of SO prisoners. The
number present at the time of inspec-
ton was seven. The faculties for
classification of prisoners as to age.
offence, etc, are limited here as in
other counties.
The daily calendar or docket con-
tains space for the following inform
alton: Name, date entered, resi-
dence; what for and by what author
ity sentenced; when discharged.
Food
The menu prescribed by the Coun-
ty Commissioners consists of bread.
molasses and tea for breakfast and
supper each day. For dinner twice
week beans are served and beef soup
twice a week and bean or pea soup
twice a week and once a week salt
fish, pork scraps and potatoes. The
beef soup consists of beef. potatoes.
turnips, carrots and other vegetables
in season, one pound Of soup bone per
man being allowed. On this basis it
would appear that the men do not
average more than one pound OF
meat per week. The prisoners eat at
a table in one Of the corridors. They
wash their own dishes and place
their waste in a garbage can which is
removed every day.
Discipline
There are no written or printed
rules governing the conduct OF the
prisoners. No conduct record or rec
ord of punishment is kept. The men
wear their own clothing which they
bring with them to the Jail and such
additional clothing as the sherin may
find it necessary to have purchased
for them by the county from time to
time as their clothing wears out.
A wood yard is operated a part OF
the time. This yard for the year 1920.
taking into account the value OF the
wood furnished to the Jail. sherin's
residence and court house showed
profit of s129.92. This season the
market for fitted wood has been dull
and the men have more idle time on
their hands than formerly. 1t Is
probable that if the sheriff or one of
the deputies had time to give the
matter attention considerable en-
ployment on various kinds of rough
labor could be found about the viz
lage with revenue resulting to the
county and the prisoners and better
occupation Of their time. although the
sheriff feels that when the wood mar
ket is in a normal condition the wood
yard will afford plenty of occupation.
The breakfast hour is 7.30, dinner
hour lt45 and the supper hour $50
o'clock.
Care Of the Sick
A physician is employed and paid
by the call to attend prisoners who
are I'll, but it does not appear that
complete physical examination with
a view to the detection of contagious
or infectious diseases is, as a matter
Of routine, made by the physician of
each prisoner as soon as committed.
Cost
The total expenditure by the
county Of Somerset on account OF the
Jail for the year ending December 81,
1920 was $52s56o. After deducting
the income from the wood yard,
amounting to $924.75, the net cost
was $4370.S5, equivalent with an av-
erage of six prisoners in custody to
a weekly per capita of SLABS. divided
as follows: Salaries $2.47, food $1.67.
personal clothing SOC, repairs and
equipment 1856. other purposes $4.53.
The net average weekly income per
prisoner was $1.42.
1neIe IS also a Column LOT REMARKS.
In this column Is usually entered rea-
son for discharge or some. similar
note. The calendar appears to be
correctly kept and p-to- date. Nit
timuses are filed in a roll top desk
in the Office. There is no safe or
other fire proof container for them or
for the Jail calendar
Practically all of the supplies are
purchased directly by the county
commissioners. one of them living in
the village.
The Jail is a two story brick build
ing with basement. Attached to ii is
a frame dwelling house which is oc-
cupied by the sheriff and his family.
The fisers in the Jail are of concrete
and the cell blocks of steel The cell
block on the upper floor contains six
cells with provision for two beds in
each cell. These cells open into
center corridor at the end Of which
is a toilet hopper and a wash bowl.
Both are old and somewhat rusty but
as clean as could be expected under
!he circumstances. The up stair
cells are used only when there are
prisoners beyond the first floor capa-
city. There are two rooms outside
Of the cell block room on the second
floor at the head of the stairs. These
are equipped with toilet hopper and
flush bowl There 10 a shower bath
and a tub on this floor for bathing
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