New-York tribune., 1885-03-01
THE RAYMOND STREET JAIL.
SOME REFORMS NEEDED IN BROOKLYN.

come down tn the present time little altered IN its
general characteristics England has by TINS Time
recognized the failure of the county system anu h',
abandoned it, transferring the management oi al
jails to the Government providing worK-houscs i"'
convcts and enforcing hard labor. Canaoa ha'
followed the same line of reform, enforcing iaoor
in jails and appointing jaers through the Provh-
ciaI Government. In the United States. however.
the principal features of the original system remain
having certain icgenious additions when tehu
away from raterth than in the direction Of improve
ment such for example, as the election OF )ailers
for short terms and their constant rotation IN Once
Theoretically the county jail is place Ior tho
detention of prisoners for term not eAceeoi"s
thirty days. but owing to the habit Oh sen"inS
thereto prisoners awaiting trial. 1t not uhifequehy
happens that the same person is lodger OF tue
Sheriff for six months or so.
a.The worst evils of the system are generally sup
posed to lie exempied in the county jails OF tue
country districts but visit to the Jail in the third
lsrgest city in the country shows that 10 III"
abuses it Is not necessary to 90 far.
There is in Brooklyn society or oeheVCich'
women who devote their charitable impulses chiefly
to the task of furnishing occupation and comforts
to homeless women. and especially to those VINO
have been discharged from prison. TO this end they
started few years ago, under the name OF the
Wayside Home. an establishment where these poor
wretches may find shelter and an opportunity vi
leading a decent life. A recent visit PAID by q
committee from this Home to the womens quarters
at the RAYMOND Street Jail convinced them that
all their efforts to reform were rendered doubiy
hard by the nature of the prison experience OF the
women whose welfare they nave at heart.
al do not wonder" said one of the committee at
women coming to us lost to all sense OF shame.
believe firmly that any wcman who up 10 that uihe
has led blameless life aud who shonid nave 10
pass twenty-nine days in the Raymond Street jail
would come out ruined for life. What. then, must
become of the young children whom we saw BREATH
ing the AIR morally and physically pestilential OF
that placer
A morn ng passed in the precincts of the jail fully
bore out the description this woman gave of the
place The Jail consists of two buildings-the new
jail and the old Jail. The former fronts on Kay
mond-st After repeated pulls at jangling bell the
visitor was admitted and presented letter of nitro
duction to tho Sheriff. That Official was absent.
but in his place the Warden appeared and rendered
every facil ty III his power for complete nvestga-
ton Of every part of the building. with the new
jal IA building little faplt is to be found, ana IT'S
sanitary condition is fairly good The cells open on
long galleries. which run down each side of
central corridor and down the inner side of the TWO
,ile corridors. In each cell IL an IRON bodstcad
fastened to the wall aud an IRON closet lhe build
ing ~ heated by steam pipes ana when Wis le'l was
# ANYTHING unheJlthlly warm. At the ehu OF each
gallery Is AN IRON sink with single talcct winch
serves for the washing purposes of all the prisoners
on that floor. They have to provide themselves
with towels and soap. ;,
A generous amount 0f freedom is allowed to all
the snort-tcTm prisoners but the conrt prisoners
as those await trial are called, are noInlualIy
confined to their cells save during tho nOu OF eNer
c "a allowed once a day. The use of tobacco ls
freely allowed aud nne-trnths of the prisoners were
smo ling vigorously. he ventilation IN tolrraby
and he n
east supportnblc. In TINS respect, according 10
dsinterested accounts great change Tor the better
las been made by the present Warcen; VINO mas had
experience in public institutions hhu IL u1,ng us
beat to Gle IN away the filth ctt by ms predecessor
and disinicct the Iail Quarters thoroaghty, Va. M
A majority of the "short-terlners' come straight
from low lodging houses and are pnt at once ihto
their cells without washing or cha"glng thcr
clothes II the prisoners are denied freeiom OF
locomotion. thcy are at least gwen thc liberty pi
their lungs The place is IN consequence pande-
monlim "a regards noise. the prisoners III an upper
tier conyersng aincably or otherwise with those on
ne oor below them necessarily at the top oi their
voices. ,.. ,oo ..
fastidious visitor but IL is palace when compared
with the women's quarters crossing the al ylt9'
one comes to low long grm-lookng stone oul'u.
nc This il the old ial Entering at law door ~
one enl Of IT, the visitor finds himself IN low
ves.ibuc a pOrtiOn OF one side 0l when Is occnpleL
Ly nm IRON harr,d door This leads 10 the lower OF
tho two narrow corridors which comp So the lall.
| An unprepossessing looking female unlocked TINS
door and a stencil for which there s NJ comparl.M1i M
nssnled the visitors noStris "a he stepped INTO the
corridor which Il little over three feet WIDE. lie
rough stone walls are on one side pierced with
few small windows on the other by the small plate
iron doors which lead into the cells At the further
| end vacant cell is occupied by closet ana u snk'
which do duty for all the inmates of that floor.
| Each cell is occupied bv fonr women, young, old.
| conrt-prisoners and short termers hulhled IN
| together Ventilation there s none. the light
Afforded 10 each cell coming from narrow slit near
| the ceiling. They are warmed by steam pipes.
which run through the middle of the cells; about
two feet from the ground FOR pea, heap o' @ saraw
suifces lin what condition can be more easily
imagined than described. Several of the prisoners
had Young children with them. The upper hoor is
like the lower in every respect save that IL sechs
| tritle csa dark and fonl. . -.
| II chanced 10 be the dinner hour when the visit
was made. and the visitors we're assa,lel win oud
| nnch bread is given To each prisoner a. he or she
| will eat with coffee III the morning sonp hsh or or
| meat and potatoes at mid dav. aud coffee again IN
the evening. The female PRISONERS n"We'er' stiu M
| that only one piece of bread VAS gwen. ana Ihs
| statement was borne ont by ther w arue. nmo
men fare better. A sample OF the soup was shown;
which certainly did not seem nutritious and looked
and sneled rather nauSeating. lhe potatoes were
also samnled they were about as smal AS pigeons
aao Rettcr food can he obtained by paving for IL,
and the constant cry Of the women 10 the Vlstors
| wns for the price of u cup of tea ,
No sort of control Is exercised over the ihnates'
who nro allowed the freedom of the corritor They
| can aud often do move from one cell To another
according to their fancy, and in warm weather they
sleep I'm the corridors in order 10 get seOlahce Oh
| fresh air through the open windows
Crossing tho yard again the neat clean and airy
| bonso of tie matron was entered and Matron
| RuckIc herself found at home. She has hcld her
rosition for nearly ten years and chatted freely
| about her charges. ~, 4,
| II ia all nonsense" said shc To say That the
| Young offenders should he separated from the Old
| The yOung ones are very much the worse, In my
opinion and If n Vul comes in here II means that she
| is bad lot to begin with. DO not think u would
| he advisable to keep the women IN the cellSI No.
moor things they would hate it. AS 1t ls they are
rlad to come back. for many Of them have no home
| DO like to them come baekf We'll IKE 10
better for the s crif account of his fees don't
| bclieye in reforming these women for they are all
past reformation. and. ~ Sald before, .nn Su"hs