The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1921-01-13
The Future Of Our Countv 7aiI?


1t Is easy to read between the lines of
certain articles current in regard to the
future of Maine iails and also to note the
concern apparent in them of the fate of
our waldo county Jail. At meeting in
Augusta Dec. SOth James F. Baeley, Sec
rotary OF the State Board of Charities
and Corrections, said:
Names county jails, or at least some
OF them, are IN fair way to bid them
selves a fond goodbye. Jails, as such,
are not lifting into the modern scheme of
Things, and 1t is especially said that some
OF those in Maine have outlived their
usefulness
They are schools of crime and idle
ness, is the characterization one student
mas given them, while Amos Butler of
Indiana, secretary of the Board of State
Charity there, goes further and says of
the Jail prisoners.
They live in idleness at the expense
of the taxpayer. They learn vice, inn
morality and crime. They become edu-
Gated in criminal ways. They degenerate
both physically and mentally
ut was recently stated IN Portland
paper that there was a movement on foot
to have the Legislature do away with all
but four of the county jaiIs, and to pro-
vide that prisoners from other counties
should be boarded at the iails in bangor.
Houlton Augusta or Lewiston, and Port.
land. That is step in the right direction.
but why not 60 the whole distance
while we are at it? We shall need places
of detention pending trial, of course, out
when man commits an offence against
State law, he should be held in CUSTODY
when necessary, not at the expense of
the particular locality where he commit
ted the offence, but at the expense of the
State. For that reason, among others,
the State Board of Charities and Correc-
lions has recommended that the admins
tration of the jails should be placed in the
hands of the Prison Commission, the ex.
pense to be borne by the State and the
commission to have authority to use only
such numbers as necessary, distance and
capacity considered, to care for whatever
prisoners must be confined therein,
1.-The number of prisoners in jails has
shown marked falling off in recent
years. For instance, the daily average
mum Der IN custody of all the jais of the
State for the year 1916 was 4O5; for the
| year 1919, it was 205, decrease of 49. 8
per cent. With the enforcement of the
Volstead Act to help our own .. ohibitior
laws, and the establishment of the Re.
formatory Tor Men, it is destined to drot
still furth r.
During the same years the average
weekly per capita cost has increased
from "a. gu to ~ "a, an increase of 90 Del
cent. VI course, part of this is clearl,
Que TO the rising costs incident to the
war, but an analysis of the per capita Of
the various jails shows marked increases
/ IN the overhead expenses, those that are
not directly affected by the number Of
prisoners. The per capita expenditure
Tor salaries of turkeys and guards in.
creased 182 per cent, and the per capita
expense for heating, lighting, etc., in.
creased loo per cent. Both of these are
items which must remain practically
stationary as to the gross amount ex-
pended, regardless of the numb. r. of pris
oners cared for
Anyone can see that it is a needless
expense to maintain an institution fol-
Two or three prisoners. Out of the Il
county jalls, for the year 1919, eight had
daily average of less than 10 prisoners
and four Others less than 25 In fact the
daily average number of prisoners Del
jail for the year was only fraction over
ID
The lowest weekly per capita cost
fEanklin county excepted, where the in.
come exceeded the expense) was in Pen.
obscot county, So II, and the highest was
IN washington county, S17.7O. In Pen
obscot county, the daily average number
OF prisoners was 81, and in Washington
county, 3. Cumberland count, mad the
largest number of prisoners, a daily av-
erage of s., and the eekly per capita
cost was So Oh. Averages in other coun-
ties were: Androscoggin, % prisoners,
Slo 81; Aroostook, %, 81 81; Hancock, 8,
siS az; hennebec, 20, $3.50; Knox, 8,
1880; Oxford, 8. SIS 68; Piscataquis, 4,
90 on; Somerset, 8, S6.l5; Waldo, 8,
Sis 81; York, IL, $40 "a.
Cost of food supplies varied from
~. IA per week per prisoner, in Aroostook
county to SIS 46 In Washington county.
The average was $3.50"