Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-03-26
THE JAIL.
Report OF the Grand Jury ef the
Criminal Court.
1nauman Treatment Of Prison
ers.

We make the following extract from
the report OF the Grand jerry Of the
Criminal Court, rendered q few days
since, with the accompanying order Of
the Court
The Grand Jury of the Criminal Court
Of Memphis, upon information brought
before them, have deemed it their duty
to call the attention of the Court to the
condition OF the prisoners now confined
In the jail Of Shelby county; and from
examination of the Jail made by the
Grand Jury, which has shown great ne
gleot upon the part of the officers in
charge, as well as testimony and infor-
nation communicated to them, they for
the ~present-as necessary to the immedi-
ate relief Of such prisoneTs-recommend
to the Court that the jailer of Shelby
county be ordered by the Court to fur
nish all prisoners now and hereafter in
his custody, who are held by process
from this Court, or by commitment Of
any magistrate for appearance before
this Court, the following articles One
clean bed or mattress, two muslin sheets,
one pillow, two muslin pillOw.eases,
which sheets and pillow-cases shall be
washed and changed twice q week.
That be also furnish such prisoners
two meals of coed SQUAD bread and meat
we'll co0ked each day, with vegetables
in addition st one Of the meals, and
plenty of good clear water twice a day.
That hs also furnish TO such prisoners
as may need them, each, two shirts or
undershirts, with two pairs Of drawers;
and for these latter articles be return the
bills to the County Commissioners that
the said drawers and shirts De washed
for each prisoner, so as to enable him to
i anEnUa Tho "a mo fuyfnu q rvoak . that Al,
said j4iier furnish the necessary D
tus for shaving oncs g week keep the
jail clean, and remove al filth from
each csll and other parts Of the Jail
every tw~enty-fouF hours.
That the said jsjler shall permit no
such prisoner to hays more b q one pint
Of whisky every t~wenty-four hours.
Th&t male and female prisoners, ex-
cept husband and wife, shall not be kept
in the same cell.
That abundance OF waste paper be fur
nished for the comfort and aecOmmOda-
ton Of the prisoners.
1t has also come to the knowledge of
the Grand Jury that cr4el and inhlsmon
punishment have been inflicted upon said
prisoners, and that, for that purpose, q
dungeon has been constructed of not
more than three or four feet square, and
Elk or seven feet high, almost entirely
without ventilation, IN which prisoners
have been confined by the arbitrary
| order Of the jailer or his ~subcrdinstes /;
frequently without food for periods of
t~wentY-lOur or forty eight hours; being
unable from the email sizs of the dun
geOn to SIT or lie doom, or to rest in any
manner, and necessarily compelled to
stand upright during he t0hoIe time on
the iron floor Of the dungeon without
shoes or E0oEs, and without any pTOvis-
ion for relieving nature, except only upon
the floor on which they stand.
That 10 one instance an insane person
was confined in such dungeon for q Pc
Rod Of tlUenty hOar hours or more; and
hat those punishments are inflicted for
alleged misconduct upon the part Of the
pTisOners.' They therefore recommend
thst such order will be entered by the
Court as may prevent these abuses in
future. H L. JAMES,
Foreman Of the Grand Jury.
Il is therefore ordered by the Court
that the ab0vs report be entered of re-
cord by the Clerk of this Court that the
recommendations therein made be
adopted aud entered as an order Of this
Court and that the said jsiler be here
after prohibited from irfiicting any pun
lsnent OF any klAu upon suSh pfisOhefs
under his chaTge, unless such sc may be
permitted by the rules for the regulation
of said jsil which may be adopted by the
Grand Jury and permitted by the Court
and that the isiler bs furnished by the
Clerk with q copy Of this report, and the
order entered therein.
A true copy from the recsrd.
Attest: Il. L. FOX, Geek,
R. s. CAPERS, ID. q.