The Red Cloud chief., 1885-10-30
COUNTY JAllS.

/ SyupPSto % y BoPSb on ~ eonOSst "
County Jaiis." howsn Their Democrat
iaing Influence, Read By Mr.. Eugene
Smith. Of New York. Before the NatiooAl
Prison Association ut Detroit. Mich.
DETROIT, Mich, October l9.-The
following Is 8 concise summary Of .
startling paper on County Jails" read
AZ the Annual Convention Of the National
this city. by Mr.. Eugene Smith, OF New
YORK. 1; presents a vivid picture OF the
evils 20 individuals and 20 society ems
mating from these lily conirived and
badly governed falsely so-called reform
a.oTy Institutions:
tn. great objection 20 the County Jail-. a.
nov administered consists Ia the In1I-cr!m-
. mat. c~oInm.ug.iny of the inmates and taer
unTcstrAiued coalp~an.on-hip. Dur n the
daytime, al the prisoners are heTaeG to-
getAeT in a cornmDn apartment, without en-
piovruen; and without discipline. the as-o-
cat on = necessarily deoA-ing aat tends 20
r. luce them ali TO the mora level of the
worst. The force Of this objection can be
uIfeTstODi only by considering the diverse
elements which make up the popylttlOn %
the County ia l.. The is.ls are used for two
e-.ential y different and dis mt puvpo -e-,
iii-;. IS places Of imprisonment under penal
sentence OF persons who have been tined
:oT crime OF = minor order and convicted,
and secondly, a. places o; detention
ua;fi TRIAL tor person, who arr accused of
crime. or who have been Witnesses OF crime.
The persons thus detained CBmpr.-a many
innocent persons. As we'll H. CC!pric- OF every
grade, II IN Young men VINO have committed
tA"E. aT-t Ui-a~fu"AIDr AID nave Just tart
ed on q DOWN. ard career, To oil. hardened
criminals who lave passed a iarEe fraction
OF their lirr- ia prison and are guilty o. the
most LeinOu- Offrn-E- known TO Iu- c-Lnl
nal Law MI these different classes. ~. in
DoceEt and tie guilty. tie y0uas ana tAr Old.
tb- novice and t." q sept n or me. are treat
81 IN the County JAiI without tHe slightest
Cl~i nr'io1, and al are thrown together n
prDnl-cHOE- assoc. alton.
The County jan - Tx" a hospital where. II
20 u an atsITdiiy can De- imagined, a! the
patients a-e cDGhuel IN "A sing 6 room with
ont any regard 10 IN" Courageous character
o'tue complaints from y Inch taey are -uf
ieTing. Ia the lIlI. H. IL 70 insure infection.
the Ir.spn-T - are kept ia enforced i.lrn---,
and 20, as by 4 mal@yoi-nt forcing. tn. i-gv-
en- Of unrI.Etcousness = made 70 pervaie
the whpIr mas. ,
Tines. are the reasons Why the County Jaiis
ar declared by every one WrO has invest
gated their condition to be schools OF
crime sinclair lpI-~y -aii of them
More Of the VIC. AMI Grim" tina; prey uppn
IL" community can BE directly traced 10 the
corTupt.nE influences OF the County JultGan
20 ant other cause. not excepting the use of
intoxicating liquors"
The ~ l. pcrti ming 20 the County Jails
are So widespread and universal that u
would be difficult 10 say which state n the
mon - "ut il.l 10 the pre- pFElurn"c OF
having the worst JalI-. AMI the sane ABUSES
stall exist thai characterized them Ef'T and
even "a hundred years ago The euent
In favor %! PRISON reform, which has
achieved the most marked results. has been
directed almost eIrlus vely toward prisons
oi the higher grade. and 80 the County
Jails have remained the most stationary
H. we'll a. the most disgrncetEI
element IN our political or-anI-rn
Two measures Of reform. or more prop -rly
or revolution, are insisted on a. absolutely
Indispensable. The first Of these l. the
elimination from the County ia of all per
sons convicted and under sentence. and the
restriction of the jail to use a. Il pla g o. de
tcu'ton Tor persons accused Of crime until
triil. and during this pc. iOd of pref rninhry
restraint, which II ord nar!lv brief, each
prisoner should he confined in q
separate apartment where comrnu
III alton with other INMATES of
the jail shall Zoe Impossible. such isolation
1. essential a. the unly means OF avoiding
the mora contamination resulting from r.
spcIatiou. ana II useful. too. A. IA cba-tcning
and healthfui discipline - the prisoner Pew
of the exist'n. County Jali- are =" construct.
ell as To answer tn" T"gulreTn,ut- OF epVa
rate Confinement some of them are sgs
c.ptiil- Of re- modelling, but II ~ true o: the
vast majority III them that they are worthy
only of utter destruction For sauitary rea-
son- alone. most OF these structures ought 10
he irNeic ! to the ground with righteous IN
GisnutIoa-
The second measure OF reform advocated
IL the establishment OF suitable r~rforintory
prisons t. receive tie County Jail rpnVICts.
I;e:tcr Tefprmato-y results are attained IA a
lar:" prison than IA = small one within Ger
tam well defined linn T.. and a ,in-le reform
asprN PRISON would meet the demands OF
-four. eight OF Twelve counties according to
the varying density of y rulation. The new
prisons require. therefore, shoIld not he
county Institutions tie county organization
l. m ala pied 10 the In~aintent nce of Il pun
tive PRISON. nor l. there any reason
on principle why the county should
undertake 20 punish or"ns"~ AZ n>t
II &c ia The state should protect l. Own
MAJESTY, aud al cunvIc;S -; wuitcN-s grad"
shuUii he delivered over to the state. which
ought "a Conrro. ali prisons f": n" punish
m"ht and treatment OF Grim nal offenders.
The advansaLe- oi such Ceutrtilze! admin
i>tration would consist IA S"CUr. n uU form
ifN IN the appl cation OF penal Justice
throughout the state. III increased efficiency,
and ~ tHc introduction of more scientific
methods Of rrfHr native ErincIpi. Nl the
prisons IN England nav oc-a made ~ubicr:
10 tn" central a!mtni>tra;inH ot TIE Home
Department ana since the alpptlun 90 that
measure the decrease 81 crime II Ing and
has teen continuous AM RAPID
an tu~w cg To- the -puonTC objection that
the reforms Eopp-"i involve large eN9"nt
iturc If money, two SUGGESTIONS arr ma Ie.
tiv>5, experience has demonstrated That APP
proved method ui prison ti>" pine Wtl r
form 70. e. vii G.VovE from t1f" az Grim" and
;uru into law ahil IA an self Surpnrt.n.
q Zrus| ei-ut couNl.'~ OF oE 'N"TN tn sub
lrrtvd 20 treatment The result IA actual
l. IN prog - attic Etmir ,L:rinrnatpry ans
t.a:. too. with teiou coUViCtS guilty. at ~iat.
Prison oa,u~"s- Tt. statement can De VIII
r. Gated ~ positive f-UTr> thar IRE -uv3ngt
the computed an actual none
rr>ulrin- nom o. reclamation OF eighty -"
cent 90 ouT al conNtCt-. woUIi To- >u1hci"U
in a singh Year - rebuild all the Count
-a.lS IN ~" United states. II" O:ae~ ~u-Ees
ton ~ aD-urI ;p the economic objection i
o. = different a. 1-lCser Dyr civilization q.
menace ! ~ subj . forces az wor Uu1vc ~,
names OF social -Tn, Commlu.>m nilIl.~m
these furcc- ARE Yearly acquiring SNst'r
a"t strength, ani are Openly hostile to Jaw
aud order, 10 property. To every Tel
government. To TrtI sipn. - ~ THAI makes
hte worth living. II - Il the criminal
classes tina: tge<" lavie-- prEVa cations
owe their rUcr-s an daaI- r~-tnnrc.
.D IL il certain raat 9. IN the County
JalS come = steady Co.suu o. recruits 70
swell their RANKS. That low mus: Re
stopped. n Whatever cost 4 j. not a cues
ton at .a,'ry " onom Is. bG. a Necessity
70. self picsrrvatlon-sn urgent and sacred
IL. i. l. --.-.-r----