Discipline.
“All inmates shall be clothed and treated as provided for in this Act, and in the rules and regulations of the industrial farm.”
Penalties.
“If any person refuses to perform the work assigned to him or her, or is guilty of other acts of insubordination, the superintendent shall punish such person by close confinement and a diet of bread and water only, or in such other manner as the rules and regulations ... may prescribe.”
Inebriates.
A separate apartment in the institution shall be appropriated to inebriates and drug users which shall be called the Inebriate Home. Any person habitually addicted to intemperance or to “dope” may on application be admitted to this Inebriate Home, the bills for expense being paid weekly by such applicant. It is further provided that if any inmate of this Home is able to pay the expense of his keeping, the court committing such person is authorized to make an order directing the amount to be paid by the said inmate.
Expense.
The original cost of the farm and buildings and all fixed overhead charges “shall be paid by the counties constituting the district, in the ratio of their population according to the last preceding United States census.” “The cost of the care and maintenance of the inmates shall be certified monthly to the counties from which inmates have been committed. Such cost shall be paid by the counties in proportion to the number of inmates committed from each county.”
NOTES AND COMMENTS ON THIS ACT.
On first reading there were some provisions of the Act which seemed impracticable. But we believe these minor imperfections may easily be corrected by future legislative enactment. The general principle of the Act is sound and in accordance with the trend of public sentiment. Massachusetts and Indiana both have Industrial Farms for prisoners serving short-time sentences. The State of Indiana has one such farm in successful operation, but we are informed some officials are convinced that it would have been wiser to institute two or three such farms. The original bill we favored provided for six such plantations. However, the nine farms may each have over 500 inmates to be cared for and employed.