1907 Snapshot of San Quentin State Prison
by Laurie Thompson
Marin Journal, 14 February, 1907:
On Sunday last a Journal reporter for the purpose of paying a visit to the State Prison at San Quentin, chartered a special train of two passenger coaches and locomotive at the B. St station [San Rafael] under charge of Conductor J. B. Brady, who took us through safely to the end of the route…
On arrival to San Quentin Prison, the following statistics were provided by Warden John C. Edgar:
The whole number of people incarcerated is 1555, of whom 27 are women, Chinese 48, Japanese 8, Negroes 67, Indians 11. The oldest prisoner is 81 years of age, the youngest 15. Life termers 181….
The reporter goes on to recount the beautiful setting and climate of San Quentin, together with prisoner amenities and activities:
The location of San Quentin prison is an unusually healthy one. Nearly enough vegetables are cultivated outside the prison walls to supply the whole institution. The convicts are glad to be allowed to work in the vegetable garden. Flowers of the most beautiful description bloom the year round in the court and about the premises. A brass band organized among the convicts helps to beguile the monotony on the Sabbath day.
All of the jute material which is manufactured into bags at San Quentin comes from Calcutta. The price of the raw materials has nearly doubled within the past two years. The prison authorities are allowed to charge one cent profit on each bag sold…..
For more history and images of San Quentin State Prison, please check out our digital photo albums:
San Quentin Prison, c.1910–1915
San Quentin Little Olympics Field Meet, 1930
Originally published at https://annetkent.kontribune.com.
