number. The cells are each 8 feet, 8 inches by 3 feet, 6.—
Of the total' number of cells, 66 are in the Basement, 7 of
these being dark cells for punishment, and 4 are totally un-
fit for use, owing to the dampness. The upper portion of this
building is quite comfortable, and furnishes accommodation
for perhaps 250 prisoners, but the basement story we found
damp, and entirely unfit for use, yet there are confined upon
that floor 56 convicts. In this building the Warden is ena-
bled to fulfill the provisions of the Law, which provides for
separate confinement, but in no other building within the
walls can he do so, and as the prisoners now confined in the
Institution, number six hundred and eighty-two, it will be
seen that uot one half of the entire number are afforded sepa-
rate confinement, as the law provides. We next visited
the

WESTERN DORMITORY.

This is what is described in the Annual Report as the
"Old Building," a most appropriate name, as it was built
over fifty years ago, and has been in constant use ever since.
This building is also 150 by 40 feet, but is differently con-
structed having been originally designed as the "Female De-
partment" of the Institution, for which purpose it is still used,
but is unworthy the title of Prison in any sense of the word,
and might be more appropriately termed a "Pest House,"
which it literally is, and if. would seem like a Providential in-
terposition in favor of the unfortunate inmates, in preserving
them, so far, from some sweeping epedemic. The first, or
lower story of this building, is divided into 18 rooms, each
10 by 20 feet. Of this number, three rooms are occupied by
the Matron, three others are used as a Kitchen, and Hospital,
leaving twelve rooms adjoining the Kitchen and Hospital as
sleeping apartments, into which are nightly crowded.
eighty-six females, white and black, there being as many at
nine persons in some of the rooms, whilst the law provides for
one person. The over-crowded condition of this department
ought alone to condemn it as a place totally unfit for the pur-
pose for which it is used; but this abuse is not by far the
worst of the many now being heaped upon the poor women
now immured within this miserable place, and who, although
perhaps unfortunate—nay, guilty oi misdemeanor, yet, are
they each and all entitled to that humane treatment as
prisoners which the law designed, but which is at present
a moral impossibility, because of want of accommodation. It
will doubtless create a feeling of remorse, indignation and
compassion in the mind of every reader of this report, when
we announce that within this Female Department, in which
are immured eighty-six poor women, "a garment hung
against the wall for twenty-four hows, becomes so wet from the
dampness, that water can be rung from it," and yet tfhe in-