Lot Tua war for wait & centar jeet atiesger with great success an.. * May re-peer, wild & patok, tur most cogen: reasoUF SHOLE DE presemier wione any attemp at teuwa No Prison can be found wuere tue prosecter of mpor. iL proporUOL to the ver of inmates, equa tha a' Disticsiown. Te is believed to be the case, tơ from the fue' tha' the convrie mor harder than in other irstitutions, bu', in a great w pros, to is favorable jucation. • From statistie auc unques of the officers, in regard to the amour of vor done by each couve1, P cannot be sac that men interaly work out a sentence at haft mướt, wiet jest than one half of the Mbor i gone inside the prison, that is gone Quiside, by the same numver of persous, engaged in tue maroc pursure. • Your commitice are of opinion. tud 1191 care and vigilance should be exercised, on the part of the officer, to increase the amount of labor among the convicts. It is believed that the amount of labor ought to be increased, in justice to the state and humanity to the crimina "In view of these facts, your committee camo believe that conven ience, economy, discipline, health, accessibility, or the moral reformation of the convict, would be promoted by the change, even could it be done without the sacrifice of a dollar in the outset. But when we take into consideration that this change cannot be effected without the sacrifice of at least several hundred thousand dollars, it would seem a waste of time to pursue it further. "Therefore, your committee would hope that no further delay be had in the case, where the best interests of the state are suffering daily, but that the action of the legislature may be as prompt in the means of relief as the nature of the case will permit. "The warden, in his annual report, closing with the Prison year, September 30, 1849, stated the number of prisoners to be 349 — a greater number than at any former period, requiring, in some instances, from two to five to be placed in the same cell at night. The number is now augmented to 420. It is believed unnecessary to go into an argument to prove the necessity of prompt action in this state of things, and at this age of reform in Prison discipline. "Where so much light has been diffused, throughout the community, on the evils arising from herding men together in the night rooms of a Prison, of the character of those immured within its walls, it is believed that the legislature will coincide with the views taken by the committee, and make such appropriations as shall be required to carry out the proposed design. "It will be observed, that the estimates for the octagonal building, and the new Prison, will amount to $80,822 40. From the statements made by responsible mechanics, your committtee are authorized to state, that these, together with the remodelling and fitting up cells within the old hospital building, in conformity with the plans presented, and such enlargements and repairs of the workshops as necessity seems to demand, will require an outlay of one hundred thousand dollars. Your committee are aware that this incurs an expenditure of a large sum of money; but where justice, humanity, and the wants of the commonwealth are so apparent, it cannot be that the legislature of Massachusetts will long withhold the means of relief. "All which is respectfully submitted, together with the accompanying bill. "LYSANDER RICHARDS, "AN ACT FOR THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE STATE PRISON AT CHARLESTOWN. "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:"SECT. 1. There shall be erected, within the limits of the State Prison yard in Charlestown, an additional Prison, between the present old and new Prison buildings, and to connect with the same, said Prison to be built of unhammered stone, in general conformity to the plan and specifications which accompany this act, and one hundred thousand dollars are hereby appropriated for the payment of the expenses of such erection and the alterations consequent thereon. "SECT. 2. The governor, with the advice of the council, is hereby authorized to appoint two commissioners, who, with the warden of the Prison, shall superintend the erection of said additional Prison, and their accounts shall be rendered quarterly to the auditor of accounts, and the governor is requested to draw warrants, from time to time, for their payment. "SECT. 3. This act shall take effect from and after its passage." BOSTON, March 9, 1850. Hon. LYSANDER RICHARDS, Chairman of Committee on Prisons: "Sir, In conformity with your request of the 2d inst., we have prepared drawings and estimates of the design submitted by us for an enlargement of the State Prison in Charlestown, to give accommodation for one hundred and fifty new cells; and we have the honor to present the same for your examination, together with a written description thereof. "We also submit a plan for a proposed change in the interior of the east wing of the old Prison, whereby eighty additional cells may be obtained, (besides the one hundred and fifty cells above named,) with an estimate of the cost. "It should be remarked, that the estimates for the materials and labor have been prepared by competent and skilful mechanics, under the direction of the undersigned; that the work and materials are intended to be of the most substantial character, and as nearly fire-proof as possible, avoiding altogether the use of wood, except for windows, roofs, and some of the floors of the "octagonal building," the roofs being all slated. "It is presumed that the estimated cost of the structure might be materially reduced should the stone and brick work be executed by the prisoners, and, as far as possible, the iron and wood work also. A still further reduction could be attained, should it be deemed expedient to make the enlargement proposed of materials less fire-proof than contemplated by the estimate herewith submitted. 66 "Very respectfully, "Your obedient servants, "LOUIS DWIGHT, 66 GRIDLEY J. F. BRYANT.” MECHANICAL DESCRIPTION. Description and Specifications for the contemplated enlargement of the Massachusetts State Prison, in Charlestown, according to a dedesign prepared by Louis Dwight and Gridley J. F. Bryant, as exhibited by the accompanying set of Drawings. The enlargement is to consist of a new wing for prisoners, and an 'octagonal building,' to be used for a kitchen in its lower or basement story; for a guard-room and general office, in its second story; for a chapel in its third story; and for a hospital, in its fourth story. This octagonal building is to be located immediately east of the present old Prison building, to be joined immediately thereto, and south of the present new Prison, also joined immediately thereto; north of the intended new wing for prisoners, and joined immediately thereto; thus forming a central point, from which the present and the intended wings will radiate, in a north, south, and west direction. This octagonal building is to be 73 feet wide, from north to south, and 65 feet wide, from east to west. Its lower or kitchen floor is to be at the level of 3 feet below the flooring of the lower range of cells in the present new Prison, and the height of this kitchen will be 10 feet. Its second or guard-room story, will be 29 feet in height, embracing the height of the ranges of cells in the present and intended wings, at the north and south ends of the guard-room. Its chapel will be 18 feet, and its hospital 16 feet high, reaching to the base of its roof, which will rise in a proper pitch for slating, from the eight sides of the octagon, and intersect, in an octagonal flat, upon the top of said roof, from which an octagonal observatory will rise to the height of 31 feet. The interior of the several stories of the octagonal building will receive light from windows placed in the four angular sides, and on the east side thereof. The new wing for prisoners is to measure 90 feet long, and 49 feet wide. Its walls will be 41 feet above the ground, and it will be covered with a roof, at the proper pitch for slating, rising from three of its sides, and terminating in a ridge: within this wing there is to be a block of cells, five stories in height. Each cell will be 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 7 feet 8 inches high. The entire block of cells will measure 80 feet in length, and 22 feet in width, and 39 feet in height. The spaces between the block of cells, on three sides, and the exterior walls of the wings, are to be appropriated as one 9 feet and the other 14 feet in width, and as high as the entire height of the block of cells aforesaid. Within these areas, at the level of the floors of the second, third, fourth, and fifth stories of the block of cells, iron galleries are to be placed the entire length of each side area. These galleries are to be 3 feet wide, and to comnunicate with staircases, placed in the guard-room of the octagonal building, against the north wall of the block of cells, for communication with the different stories. areas, - The guard-room floor is on a uniform level with the galleries of the second story of cells, in both the new wing and the present new Prison, thus yielding instant communication with every cell, in both the wings of the Prison, from the guard-room floor of the octagonal building. The access to the chapel and hospital from the galleries of the cells will be by staircases, placed immediately above the stairs before described. The areas before named, outside of the cells of the new wing, will receive their light from 10 windows, to be placed in the exterior walls of the building. Each window will measure 8 feet wide and 26 feet high. Each cell will contain a liberal ventilating flue, discharging into a large ventiduct, to be placed above the block of cells, from which the foul air is to be drawn by the aid of lofty chimneys, operated upon by heat from the kitchen and heating apparatus, and topped out with Emerson's ejecting ventilators: orifices will also be opened from the hospital and chapel of the octagonal building into these lofty ventilating chim neys. Materials. - All the exterior walls of the enlargement will be built of granite ashler, split in regular courses, and backed up with hard burnt merchantable bricks, to make a total thickness of 2 feet to each wall. The walls of the octagonal building are to be of granite and brick, making a uniform total thickness with the walls of the wings aforesaid. The new block of cells will be entirely of hard burnt bricks, with granite caps for the door openings. The floors of all the cells and areas outside of the same will be of North River flagging. The doors of the cells are all to be of round wrought-iron bars, and all other doors of wrought plate iron; the windows in the exterior walls are all to be grated with wrought iron; the galleries around the cells, at the level of every story of cells, will be of cast-iron plates, supported by wrought-iron bars and cast-iron columns. The guard-room floor, forming also the ceiling of the kitchen, is to be wood framing. The ceiling over the areas around the cells will be of wrought iron, suspended from wrought-iron bars. The orifices of the ventilators are all to be of cast iron, in cast frames; a wrought iron bedstead is to be put up in each cell. All the staircases are to be of wrought and cast iron. The floors of the chapel and hospital, together with the roof over the octagonal building, are to be wood framing, as also the roof over the new wing of the Prison. All the window frames and sashes are to be of wood, and glazed. The outside of the roofs will be slated, and copper gut ters will extend on all sides of the octagonal building, and on the three sides of the new wing. The observatory is to be of wood, its gutters and domes of copper. No interior finish is intended in the building, the brick and stone walls being simply whitewashed with lime. The ceilings of the chapel and hospital will be plastered. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. The important points which have been considered, in the proposed extension of the State Prison, of a general character, are, convenience, security, supervision, classification, light, heat, ventilation, cleansing, solitary confinement at night, employment, instruction, humanity, discipline, order, security against fire, extension. Convenience. The kitchen being central, the food is passed out from the kitchen to each area in each Prison, north, south, and west. The kitchen is also easy of access from the guard-room. The guardroom, being directly over the kitchen, and easy of access from the same, has the staircases of the different Prisons arranged on its sides, from which an easy and immediate supervision is had without going out doors, and without leaving the guard's usual station, to look after convicts, in passing to and from the cells to the shops, yard, chapel, and hospital. The chapel and hospital, being in the central building, are |