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Description and Holding Information
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Commissioners on Gaols and Houses of Correction. Report, 1834
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House No. 36 Report on Gaols and Houses of Correction in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts made by a Committee appointed by the House of
representatives. 1833. Boston : Dutton & Wentworth, 1834. This is a very detailed study in small font of the management of gaols, with a visit to every single
room in every single gaol or house of correction in the entire state, arranged by county. Three years were chosen to compare statistics of
commitment, crimes leading to gaol time, and hangings. There was also a tabular arrangement of the data that is not with this report. Page 4-98 is the
report, p. 99 is the introduction to the bill, and the bill is from p. 101-120. The bill is a complete revision of the law on the subject: An Act for the
regulation of Gaols and Houses of Correction, 1834. [Gaol is still the accepted spelling] Each County was to build a House of Correction with
exercise yards and work spaces and a high fence to prevent escapes. Each was to have a committee of overseers and a master who supervised the facility and
put the prisoners to work. In certain situations, the family of a prisoner might have to pay for his keep. One section laid out facility
housekeeping rules and called for three meals a day. The master was to provide fuel, bedding, and clothing for the prisoners. The use of solitary confinement
was discussed, and general rules for treatment of prisoners. Boys younger than 16 were always kept locally, not sent to state prison; women never went
to the state prison. The Master was to keep good records of the prisoners' work because, if a prisoner "earned" enough money, it could be his or sent
to his family. Debtors were always to be kept separate from felons. There were rules for the behavior of masters and penalties for the provision and
consumption of alcohol. The final section listed all the acts being repealed. (Digitized from a microfilm copy of title originally held by the
Massachusetts State Library).
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Title:
Report on gaols and houses of correction in the commonwealth of Massachusetts / made by a committee appointed by the House of Representatives, 1833.
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OCLC Number:
847833023
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Available Volumes
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| Name | Fiche Count | Online | Paper Backup |
| Vol. 1 | | Yes | No |
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