St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-06
COUNTY JAIL NUISANCE.
A Disgrace to the City, County and
State.
A Libby of Dirt, yermin and Foul Air, and a
Criminal Mandatory.

J
vious arrangement had an examination made
of the institution by H. H. Hart, secretary Of
the state board of corrections and
charities; DR.. A. B. Ancker, city
and county physician and Henry +,
Hoyt superintendent of tn city board o.
health.
These gentlemen made a very thorough
and careful survey of the premises and com
mitted the result of the same TO paper in
report to the sheriff with suggestions of i'm
provenent, who in turn will present tht
same to the board of county commissioner
at their session at 10 O'Clock this morning
1t would seem that the commissioners would
get their eyes opened by this examina-
ton to the fact that the
present condition of the Ramsey
county Jail is a disgrace, not only to the city
and county, but to modern civilization, and
that it would lead them to take prompt steps
to remedy the evils pointed out by these gen.
tlemen at once, and more especially as the
country is in dread of the scourge of q gen.
eral epidemic.
REPORT OF CONDITION.
The Jail is not very clean, the corridors
being strewn with sweepings, and the cells,
several of them in an untidy condition.
Many of the cells are without beds or bed
ding. The bedsteads, where there are any,
consist of iron bars fixed In the wall. They
are very poor bedsteads, and being easily re-
moved afford convenient weapons and ma
terial for tools.
The bedding consists of filthy straw ticks,
which have been apparently unrenewed for a
long time, partial supply of pillows, still
more filthy, one sheet to each bed, reasonably
clean, and good supply of wooden blankets
in fair condition. There seems to be suf-
ficient supply of towels. There is no other
furniture except iron cell buckets.
At the rear of each corridor is a fixed wash
stand with three bowls, for which the water
connection is out of order, a galvanized
urinal and an open sink serving as water
closet. The contents lay UNFRAMED in one
closet, yitiating the atmosphere.
The jailer stated that the water
supply did not admit serving the
upper and lower corridors simultaneously
Each OF these closets is in very unwhole-
some condition, food and other garbage be-
ing scattered about and thrown in the tanks.
The ventilators in the cells aud those con-
nected with the water closets have no
draft whatever. The ventlators in the
floor, connected with the rear shaft, have a
feeble draft, but the air was reasonably
good. The jailer stated that the ventilators
are infested with rats, some
of which have died there
in making the air very bad at times.
There is no provision whatever for separa-
ton of different classes Of prisoners.
&c ie +hot
one female prisoner is given the liberty of
the jailers corridor, where communication
with male prisoners is unavoidable. Even
in the women's corridor unobserved CONVEX
sation with male prisoners is easy.
The women's water closet is an open
sink unscreened FROM the jailer's corridor.
II has been the practice to use a cell on the
women's corridor for furnishing refractory
men. there being no other place where they
can be separated from their comrades.
Boys have 10 be locked up with the men.
Two men held for examination as insane
persons are locked up in the common corri-
dor.
Three men held as witnesses, not accused
Of crime, are locked up with the other pris-
onrrs.
There is no pital cell.
The iailer reports the prison ers Of one cor
rider infested with lice.
SUGGESTIONS OFFERED.
We offer the following suggestions:
1. Cleanliness il an iudispen sable reuui-
site in public institution. The condition
Of the bedding calls for immediate attention.
,. The iron rods should be removed and
canvas hammocks substituted, such as those
In the city wo-khOuse.
3. The womens water closet should be
screened. The lavatory and water closets
should have an adequate supply Of water.
The deposit Of food aud other garbage should
be strictly prohibited.
4. II practicable, the smokestack OF the
furnace should be placed in the air shaft II
Is impossible to secure good oxidation BY
unbeated nues.
>. There should be a bath tub in each
corridor.
9. The county should furnish prison suits,
as is done in Dakota county, aud enforce
bathing, enabling the sheriff TO secure clean
illness.
Z. We consider it indispensable that there
should be provision for isOlaiing witnesses.
insane persons, children and women. Al
present the sheriff cannot comply with the
law requiring separation Of the sexes.
$. There should be a separate apartment
provided for hospital uses.
9. There should be fixed benches for pris.
onrrs in the cells aud corridors.
10. We are of the opinion that 50 a week
IS not sufficient compensation for the board
Of prisoners. We know OF no other count,
where the compensation is less than SO.
All Of which is respectfully submitted.
II. II. HART,
A. B. ANCKER,
Henry r. HoYT