Show T THE KAND JUEOES Make Their Final Report and are Discharged INVESTIGATING THE JAILS Against the County jailThe Cases Beard and DJfiposed of The Child Etc Hon Chirlea S Zane Judge Third Judicial District of the Territory of Utah I Your Grand Jury impaneled for the February term respectfully ubmit herewith their final report We met on February 7n and have been in session twentyfour days Have passed upon fiftyeight cases of which twentynine are Territorial the balance 29 under the laws of the United States Of the Territorial cases brought before us we have foundindictments in eighteen eight-een casrs and ignored eleven Of the United States cases we have ignored seven gpses and returned indictments in twentytwo On Monday February 28th members of the Grand Jury VISITED THE CITY JAIL with the view of reporting upon its management and condition We are justified in making a favorable report and we believe the present jailor is earnest and conscientious in the discharge dis-charge of his duties Any objection to be made applies more to the building than to the management The cells and sleeping apartments are inclined to be damp and the ventilation defective an objection which applies to nearly all but the more modern and improved jails The bedding in not what it should I oe and the general absence of suitable bedsteads or bunks renders it difficult i to keep it in good condition for any length of time On March 1st the jury in a body visitedand INSPECTED THE COUNTY JAIL The arrangements for taking care of and properly lodging prisoners in this establishment are more defective than in the City Jail The cells and prison apartments are damp oppressive op-pressive and gloomy and particularly particu-larly detective as to ventilation Here again the absence of bedsteads or elevated bunks renders it difficult to kejp mattresses t r bedding in a passably pass-ably respectable condition for any length of time but apart from the difficulties diffi-culties peculiar to the building and for which the present authorities and employees em-ployees are in no sense responsible your jury feel justified in stating that there is evidence of neglect and loose management which should be corrected There is a lack of cleanliness the walls generally are dingy and defaced The mattresses and bedding are dilapidated and wretchedly dirty The mealshow ever furnished the inmates are reported satisfactory It is a significant comment com-ment on the management of this establishment estab-lishment to state that three boys aged respectively 12 13 and 15 and small for their age on being brought into court for trial and before the Grand Jury for inspection on March 1st showed such unmistak sUe evidence of neglec were so badly clothed and so extremely dirty that immediate measures should at once betaken be-taken to have them transferred to the Penitentary where they can ba batbed and where the rules require bathing once a week The jury is given to understand un-derstand that the authorities contemplate contem-plate the building of a new jail If such be the fact it should be pushed to completion with all reasonable dispatch dis-patch On the afternoon of the last above date tile Grand Jury INSPECTED THE PENITENTIAEY e To designate such a building this I possession of a government whose treasury treas-ury is so overflown that the disposition I and storage of its surplus is a continual source of concernis a misnomer It is simply a pound indifferently surrounded sur-rounded by tumbledown adobe where men are herded by day and stalled by night and the security against escape is in the more than average Eood character of the inmates which offjea the more than bad character char-acter of the structure The warden seems earnest in his desire to make the best of and do the best with the material ma-terial at his disposal but the Utah Penitentiary Pen-itentiary manage it ever so well is a disgrace to the country and to the government gov-ernment or to any government whose Credit would justif the erection of a moderatel respectable building Here as in the city and county jails the most serious objection is the lack of sleeping accommodations When we visited the Penitentiary the prisoners numb r d 161 and nine were added during the afternoon The sleeping apartments for these 193 and the number is being steadily increased is as follows Bunk House No 1 20x22 12foot ceiling 64 men Bunk House No 2 20x20 48 men Bunk House No 3 20x23 51 men Total 1G6 There is not standing room on the floor of three thin bunk houses for the men who are compelled to sleep in them at night The ventilation while better than in the city or county jail never theless is not whit it should be Considering Con-sidering the number of prisoners the more than probable increase of the number and early approach of warm weather we earnestly ask the attention of the proper authorities to the speedy construction of additional sleeping apartments A decent regard for common com-mon humanity demands this much at least Theremainine prisoners not of the 166 packed in the threa bunk houses mentioned the warden disposes ot in odd corners and outofthewav places as well as he can The major part of those so disposed are what in prison parlance is known astrusties While the whole structure is A WRETCHED APOLOGY for the purpose it is intended to serve it is managed the best possible under the circumstances and the prisoners complain qjily of a lack of sleeping accommodations ac-commodations v The cleanliness and management of the kitchen butchEr and bakeshop blacksmith and tailor shop wash room bathing apartments and dining room are to becommended TnVfcramperL condition of the premises lrendersit I Iece B ry to use the dining room during off hours as a barber shop I For months there has been a large school conducted on the premises and the largest bunk house is devoted to this purpose through a part of the day THE EXPEBIENCE f of those called to serve in the unwelcome unwel-come capacity of Grand Jurors is generally disagreeable In this Territory Terri-tory it is especially so and our experience experi-ence has not been an exception to the rule We do not propose to tax your honors patience by commenting on the older and more hardened criminals I or by discussing the more familiar aryl ordinary crimes their treatment or prevention Neither do we propose to discuss the actions views sincerity or insincerity of a large class of offenders peculiar to this locality whose opinions and practices are at variance with the majority of the citizens throughout our common country coun-try but we cnnnot close this report without calling attention to a subject on which possibly these lQcal practices have a bearing OUR INVESTIGATION of offenses against law and society has developed a degree of depravity among the young that is not exceeded and seldom paralleled in the most depraved and degraded slums of the larger cities of this or any other country We have had to listen to the most disgusting and sickening defails from the lips of mere children so revolting indeed that the most hardened of men would blush to write the details down The duty of the parent does not end but rather commences with the birth of the child natural affection and a proper sense of responsibility alike bespeak be-speak parental care and thoughtful guidance to mould the embryo citizen into a useful member of society The child is father to the man Our inquiries in-quiries have developed a painful absence ab-sence of this twofold sense of responsibility responsi-bility a widespread and utter lack of control and shameful neglect on tire part of parents In view of these facts we feel that we cannot too strongly urge the need of a house of correction reformatory school or some kindred establishment to save or claim if possible these neglected unfortunates as yet upon the very threshold of life jjrpm careers of crime and degradation |