Show THE UTAH PENITENTIARY Some Suggestions For ImprovementsEmploy I ment Should bo Furnished Frank Strong and Ho ward Perry agents write as follows to the attorneygeneral concerning the Utah penitentiary and its inmates We went to Utah and inspected the Utah penitentiary at Salt Lalte City in which there are at present confined about 300 prisoners At the last examination of this institution which was made by the general agent in 1SSO the prison was in a most wretched condition the only accommodations accom-modations for the prisoners being three or four small log houses which were always over crowded and badly ventilated and necessarily in a miserable condition Since then however a nc cellwine has been reeled which fairly accommodates all the male prisoners but this will soon be overcrowded dj frk lr si rd crowded The building is well constructed and the cell accommodations facilities for feeding etc are excellent The food furnished furn-ished by the marshal who is the acting warden is of good quality and plentiful The cost of feeding the prisoners present amounts to about 50 cents a day There are no accommodations for female prisoners with the exception of one small wooden room which is but poorly suited to the purpose pur-pose The walls surrounding the prison and the house for the warden and officers quarters are all built of adobe and arc rapidly rap-idly falling to decay and hould be replao d I for as soon as possible An appropriation for officers this purpose including a building ficers quarters and a new wing was mace eat e-at the last session of Congress and soon it is understood will be available We earnestly recommend that steps be taken as soon as practicable towards the erectio of this building as well as the purchase of the water right and twenty acres of Ian adjacent to the penitentiary which are also provided for in the appropriation Th prisoners are MOSTLY KEPT IS IDLBXESS as no employment of any kind is furnished by the government We regard this as a n evil which should be corrected if possible and believe that some kind of Industry should be provided in which the convicts could be kept busy Wo do not know that this is practicable but however think it may be possible to employ them in making bricks as clay for this purpose can be found near the prison walls If necessary we believe there should be given by legislative legis-lative enactment to the attorneygenera power to provide means to employ the prisoners at the Utah penitentiary in the industry spoken of or something of that L kind as the evils resulting from idleness arc many and apparent to everyone Most of the inmates of this institution are Mormons Mor-mons who have been convicted unlawful cohabitation under the Edmunds law They are usually persons who are willing and anxious to observe all the prison rules and cannot properly be placed in the socalled criminal class All of them we have doubt would be glad to work at almost any employment which could be given them The marshal has employed as acting warden war-den immediately in charge of the prison Mr Pratt who we believe is well suited for the position and performs his duties satisfactorily and thoroughly Under his superintendence the prison is kept in good order proper discipline is maintained and everything about the place is cleanly and in good condition |