The Jailbreak Problem: When Every County Was Its Own Penitentiary

Probably no State or Territory in the Union can boast of a more conspicuously lax system of providing for the care of its prisoners than Washington Territory. Every county jail in the Territory is also a penitentiary, authorized to receive prisoners convicted of State offenses, with the privilege of charging at the rate of eighty-five cents per diem for their keeping; while the Territory itself derives no benefit whatever from the labor which they would otherwise be compelled to perform. Moreover, under the present system, some of the most desperate criminals are frequently confined in poorly constructed and insecurely-guarded jails in some of the counties, from which an escape is merely a matter of a few hours—notably in the case of Kitsap county, from which several prisoners broke out a short time since. In this instance, they might have carried off the jail itself without hindrance. With a very commendable desire to improve the present order of things, Sheriff Billings, of Thurston county, has made a proposition to the Legislature offering to keep the prisoners for the next six years, and proposes to erect a suitable prison, where the criminals will be furnished employment. At the expiration of the six years, if desired, he will dispose of the institution to the Territory at a price previously agreed upon. It is contended that the prison could be run with but slight cost, and would be virtually self-supporting. The consideration demanded is seventy-five cents per day for each and every prisoner—which would amount to a quite respectable sum at the end of each year. It is stated that by adopting the plan proposed, the sum of $12,000 would be saved to the Territory annually. The plan submitted is a very excellent one, no doubt, but whether it would be more advisable for the territory to accept the offer of Mr. Billings than to construct the prison themselves, is a matter for discussion. It seems to us, however, that the latter plan would be the most satisfactory. The profits realized from the labor of the convicts, when once the institution was in a successful running condition, would in a short time more than compensate for the outlay of money necessary in the construction and fitting up of the building. Furthermore, it would be far more desirable to have the direct control and management of an institution of this kind in the hands of Territorial officers, than to farm it out to private individuals who oftentimes prove utterly incompetent and irresponsible.