A VISIT TO THE PRISONS OF VALPARAISO.
That the prisons and other places of detention in Valparaiso were woefully inadequate for their object has long been a matter of public knowledge.  It is only lately however that we have had official and authentic confirmation of the terrible state of things which obtains in these establishments.
In view of the energetic representations of Judge Santa Cruz on the subject, the court of appeal commissioned one of its members Don Alejandro Bezanilla Silva to pay a visit of inspection to all places of detention in this city. Mr. Bezanilla’s report was presented last week and it unfortunately confirms the worst rumours which had been circulated regarding these places. 
With the exception of the correctional house for women which is under the care of the nuns of Buen Pastor and where it was found that the women were confined in well ventilated wards, were kept clean, provided with beds and taught how to work, the penal establishments of the town were found to be in the most deplorable condition. The hospital ward contains only twenty beds which are frequently all occupied, making it impossible to receive any prisoner who become seriously ill or suffer an accident. With regard to the jail the report has been confirmed regarding the inadequacy of the accommodation provided. It is recognised however that so far as the means at his disposal have permitted, the present Administrator has done his best to classify the inmates, but the different cells and wards are overcrowded to a degree and the sanitary arrangements are extremely defective. The scarcity of warders make supervision difficult and the dubious compliment is paid to the vigilance of the Administration in the statement that no crimes, such as frequently occur in such places have lately taken place! The state of morality due to over crowding must, however be of the worst. 
It is however when we come to the “seccion de detenidos” behind the Criminal courts in the Plaza Victoria that the full horror of the want of all humanity in treating prisoners is apparent. In this place all persons who have been arrested and are waiting judgement, or who have been remanded during trial are detained. They have not been condemned, many are subsequently discharged as innocent, many more are only guilty of offences against the police regulations or the alcohol law; yet this is how judge Bezanilla describes their place of detention, - “however painful it may be, it is necessary in the cause of humanity to proclaim that the wretched conditions and want of space in the central “seccion de detenidos” reach such a point as to constitute an insult to any civilised nation. I will not refer to the anti-hygienic filthy and for many reasons repugnant conditions of this place. These are the smallest part of the matter. The point most worthy of attention is the absolute want of sufficient space.” The report then proceeds to point out that the space formerly devoted to this purpose has been greatly reduced since the Intendencia was moved to the same building and it calculates that  the space disposable could reasonably be expected to accommodate 145 persons, nevertheless on the 23rd of October 414 victims were crowded into this space. Under these circumstances all kind of classification becomes impossible and even young boys under 16 years of age have to be shut up in the wards with the general crowd!
This is no exaggerated account, it is the calm language of an official report made by a judge not at all likely to be carried away by his feelings. The horror of the situation is added to by the fact, that owing to the pressure of work in the criminal courts, innocent persons are liable to be remanded for days and weeks and have to exist in this place which can only be compared to the black hole of Calcuta, while it is to this place that the drunkard whom it is the object of the alcohol law to reform, is sent, to increase their number.
The report recommends the removal to the old Mercado del Condor or some other more commodious spot and insists on the necessity of enlarging the prison. The Court of Appeal has endorsed the recommendation and has forwarded it to the Minister of Justice. It may be hoped that at last some action may be taken in the matter, for this is the question which does not only affect the criminal class though it must necessarily tend largely to increase it. This is a matter which concerns the whole community. We have only to remember the number of unfortunate persons of the name of Flores who were arrested because somebody of that name was presumed to be responsible for one of the recent murders, to realise that the most innocent person may at any time find himself one of those 414 unhappy, people crowded into a space capable of accommodating only 145 awaiting the opportunity to prove his innocence.