Milford chronicle., 1921-02-25

Net cost of Operation---------poo'4 y O'A
average number of prisoners
during 1920 ----.--.--.-.---.-----
Gross per diem cost per 80, OF
capita ----..--.--.-------- @A'sa ~ :
Net per diem cost per capita 70 - =
Per capita cost of food alone .z5 ~
The above total cost includes S4o'-
R31. AZ bonus paid to inmates for them
selves and their families; also $l'2SS-
TX paid on non-suppOrt orders.
Average number of prisoners DUR
ing 1920 by counties;
From New Castle County (tor less
than six month)-76. ,. =
From New Castle County (for SIX
months and longer)-2OO.
Kent county (for six months and
Ionger)-29.
Sussex County (for six months ana
longer)-2S. Coa+7o
included among the New Castle
county prisoners are a large numper
from outside the State, arrested IoT
railroad trespassing, etc., and dope
fiends who have an indefinite sen
tence. all of whom are dead expense:
Done fiends are committed to TINS
institution physical wrecks, and dur
ing the time of their indefinite SEN
tence are a liability and very seldom
if ever able to perform any service.
The medicines given them alone cost
us over 40 cents a day. They have not
committed any crime, but are sent to
the penitentiary to cure their dope
habit. and we have such prisoners
from all of the counties of the state.
We-are allowed 40 cents per day for
prisoners who are sent to jail for non
support of families, yet we are COM
pelled to give so cents back to the
support of the family, 10 cents more
than we receive.
With reference to the statement
made that the prisoners received as
much as $500 per day, this is erron-
eous. The prisoners were hired out
to the Levy Court of New Castle coun-
ty at $500 per day to do the county
road work. Fifty cents of this amount
was given to the prisoner and his
family and two dollars and half was
retained for netting the expenses OF
the County Workhouse.
There are always from 100 to $50
prisoners whom we are enable to work
in the clothing department here, a
surplusage, as it were, on hand over
and above our needs at the workhouse,
hence we use our best efforts to OBJ
tain outside labor for them. We al
ways give preference to the Levy |
Court of New Castle County, and the
Levy Court of New Castle County and
Grubb always give their full |
cooperation, which we deeply appre-
ciate.
By reason of the fact that we have
a surplusage on hand during all sea-
sons of the year, even above the need
of the Levy Court, we have submitted
a bill to the Legislature requesting a
law to be passed enabling us to work
prisoners on other than county work.
In conclusion wish to state that
all of this information has been given
to the public before, and naturally
we were under the impression that
the members of the Legislature were
with these facts.
I think it is little unfair for any
one to state that we are asking rs
cents per day per prisoner for food,
which is absolutely erroneous state
ment. We are asking rs cents per
lay for the upkeep of the institution, ]
which includes every expense in con- I
lection with its upkeep.
I would be very much pleased if !
hose interested in the expense in !
,urred in the upkeep of this institu-
ion would compare our expense with 7
hat of other penitentiaries Of the 2
United States. OF course I mean in T
states where prisoners are treated as +
luman beings and not turned out to 7
he Duh1ic a menace In sOcietv when 4
heir terms have expired.