Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-12-20
Charities and Correct
ions Report on Our
Kennebec County Jail

The State Board Of Charities and
Corrections on November 25 last made
it's inspection of the Kennebec county
Jail at Augusta, according to the pro-
vision of law and In substance it says:
The sheriff and jailer is Edward d..
Harwood, his term of office dating
from January /, 1917. The sheriff
lives at the Jail with his family, and
has the assistance of a turnkey. Dep
uty Sheriff c.. A. Bunker. Cooking is
done by one of the prisoners under d.
rection of the turnkey. There is no
matron.
On the day Of the inspection there
were p prisoners, all of them men,
nine of them waiting trial and the
others under sentence. The last GRIM
inal term of the Kennebec superior
court was held in September and the
next will be in January. The whole
number of commitments during the
calendar year 1920 was 81, while the
number committed during 1921 up to
the date of this inspection, November
25 was 1902.
AS this Jail is large in comparison
with the numbeTsof prisoners which 1T
is called upon TO care for in recent
years, better classification of prison.
ers as to age, sex. crime, offence COM
mitted, etc, could be made here than
is made in most county jails. but when
all is said and done, separation of the
sexes is about the only practical class
ification in any county Jail. provisions
Of law calling for a more detailed
classification Notwithstanding.
The Jail calendar or docket, which
is in good condition and with ali en-
tries apparently made to date contains
spaces for the entry of the following
information: Number of mittimus,
name of prisoner. place of abode, date
committed, by what court, what cause.
sentence, age, height, complexion.
where born. occupation, read and wyi:e,
weight. and date of discharge. 1t was
noted that in the space "By whom COM
mitted" was entered the name of the
committing magistrate. 1t was sug-
gested to the turnkey that it would lie
better to insert the name of the court.
Both the latter are commendable adj
The blotter or copy of the official
docket is a duplication of the other
record but there is no objection to
keeping it if it is found worth while.
All supplies and equipment required
for the Jail are purchased by the coun-
ty commissioners, upon recommends
ton of the sheriff.
The Jail is built of stone, erected in
1858. with an interior cell block of
corridor and galleries around three
sides. The whole number of cells in
the cell block is As. with six large cells
in the rear OF the latter only two
are occupied, one as women's quar-
tiers and the other for two of the mere
trusted prisoners who by reason Of
their industry have earned special con
sideration. In addition to the large
cell used for the women there are two
smaller cells for their use so arranged
that they can be shut Off from the res.
of the Jail. except that the entrance
to them is by one of the corridors
used by the male prisoners. At the
present time only the south side of
the cell block is in use as quarters for
the prisoners, the north side of the
cell block being used only as store
rooms. The interior of the Jail has
not been painted for more than year
but the paint Is in good condition.
The Jail is heated by steam and
lighted by electricity There are no
lights in the cells. Bedsteads are iron
cots without springs. The swinging
beds which turn up against the wall
there are beds for four men in a cell
though more than two are seldom used
have a pattern of squares made Of
half-inch strap iron running laterelly
and longitudinally, about five-inch
squares. while in the lower or cot beds
the mattress rests directly on longi-
fIidina1 straps of iron about three