The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-14
GRAVE PROBLEM
AT STATE PRISON
Many More Prisoners than
Cells and More Are
Coming In
OPEN DORMITORIES
NOT A SOLUTION
Forty or More i'm Camp on Highway job
to Return Soon and Places for Them
Must Be Provided - Many on Proba-
tiOn for Lack of Room.


viii the state of Vermont, through the
state board of control, make an appro-
priation for an additional building at the
state prison at Windsor? Can the state
al this time, before the legislature meets.
authorize an appropriation for the build
buildings? If not, what is going to be
done about the housing of prisoners, as
the prison already is overfowing?
These are some of the questions which
are now disturbing the minds of the
members of the board of control, which
consists of Gov. James Hartness of
Springfield, Roland Stevens of White
River Junction. Walter f. Scott, state
treasurer. of Brandon, and Benjamin
Gates, auditor of accounts, of Montpel-
ier.
There are approximately 325 prison
ers. 40 of whom are now living at a road
camp under guard along the Bridge
Sherburne highway, where a new
road is being constructed. The remain
ing go prisoners are housed at the
prison buildings in 210 cells. This over
crowded condition has been relieved
somewhat by converting two of the large
rooms in the buildings into open dormi-
tories, system which has been used for
the past six months and which is believed
TO be the first time this system has been
used anywhere in New England. In
each dormitory. several cots are placed
side by side, the appearance of the room
being not unlike the barracks used by
the soldiers in the various environments
during the recent World war period. In
each dormitory have been placed the men
with good records and those who can be
trusted, and thus far the system has
worked out successfully.
But this innovation will not take care
of all the prisoners, as they. are con
stantly arriving and rs soon as the cold
weather sets in the 45 men that are
working on the roads will return to the
prison and additional accommodations
viii have to be made for them.
In order to provide sufficient cells for
all the men the state will have to make
an appropriation of from $4,000 to
100000, which may be used toward the
construction of an additional building or
which may be utilized in constructing
cells in the large rooms already in the
building. modern cell costs about
81 600 so that the additional cells re-
quired TO house every prisoner separately
would cost well over the figures mem
toned
One of the results of the overcrowt1ed
condition has been the placing of more
men on parole, and the discharge of those
prisoners who are deserving and who
have served their minimum sentence. At
present the board is faced with two alter
natives: Either money must be appro-
priated for another dormitory, or inmates
with good records must be paroled Just
now there are S53 men out on parole
and on probation, the latter being those
men who have been sentenced for various
mlsdemeanors but whose sentences have
been suspended pending good behavior.
During the administration of Gov.
Percival w. Clement, who preceded Gov
ernor Hartness. the house of correction
at Rutland and the state prison were
consolidated, and the building used as
the house of correction was abandoned.
all the women prisoners being taken To
W indsor. More recently this building
has been brought into use as a prison for
women, who have been transferred there
from Rutland
The last two years have seen a large
increase in the number of prisoners aft
windsor, and the ratio seems to be CON
staHt at the present time, so that this
problem of housing the inmates will soon
have to be solved by the members of the
board