Wichita eagle., 1889-02-01
OUR CITY PRISON.
dftor Of tha Daily Eagle.

10 the Editor OF the DAILY Eagle.
While our city boasts of its numerous
| churches, colleges and elegant homes, the
city prison or cooler" as tits called
would be a disgrace to a heather country
| and is more to be deplored in country
| that claims to be civilized.
At the last suffrage meeting a commit
tee reported in regard to the condition IN
| which they found the cAlaboose. The
ladies said they were met by policemen
| who kindly granted their request and
courtiously conducted them to the prison
-Four cells are supposed to accommodate
all the men, women and boys who are CON
fined there from time to time, with nc
effort at ventilation except in each cell a
window, if tits worthy that name, high ur
| in the wall. about as large as transom
over an ordinary door.
The cells were entirely destitute
of furniture of any kind not
on which to sleep. The committee was in
formed that the inmates were given blan-
kets and slept ON the floor. The floor was
zinc and the cells are washed out with a
hose. They doubtless remain wet, musty
or damp most of the time, and even were
the blankets ever 81 clean and dry, to use
them on the wet floors they would soon
become saturated with moisture. How
any of the inmates escape pneumonia,
rheumatism or neuralgia is more than any
one can tell.
While the place is terrible for men it is
worse for women, and, as one OF the OH
GERS said, the city prison is not fit for even
decent pig-pen, and it takes woman OF
an iron constitution to endure the con-
finement, and occasionally woman is re-
leased before her time has expired, be-
cause of the wretched accommodations.
The men seemed to fare better than the
women, for there was one stove in the
building and that was In the hall
around which the men were allowed
to congregate to keep warm. The one
stove is not sufficient to warm the cells,
yet the women are compelled to remain
locked in those cold, wet cells day and
night, occasionally for week or ten days
at a time. One woman said: Il do not
know how they live in such place SO
long. In fact, should want to die after
such an experience.
The greatest criminals are more hui
namely treated than are the inmates OF
our city prison. Even young boys are
locked up in that dirty place to associate
possible conditions. When his time ex-
pires the boy is turned out thousand
times worse for his confinement; turned
out to attend the public schools and to the
class-mate Of pure, innocent children.
No boy who has been an inmate of the
city prison should be allowed
to contaminate other children by
bis society or, with recitals OF what
be has seen and heard in the calaboose
The system is wrong, we cannot afford TO
make criminals OF boys who have not had
the right training at home.
They should have a clean, quiet place by
themselves where respectable, kind heart
ed people could feel free to visit them, and
with good advice and the right kind of
literature they may be redeemed, at least
they are not male worse.
There is always a chance to reform the
young "if there is any capacity in the
blood" and all boys who have special bad
tendencies should be sent to the reform
school where years OF strict discipline may
overcome the worst characters, or at least
improve them.
One case was reported to me recently of
a grandmother appealing to one of the
old boy. She admitted he had been in the
calaboose and was bad willful boy, but,
she added, poor boy, his mother
is dead and his father had
better be-" Topeka reform school would
be blessing to that boy and save his old
grandmother a world of care and trouble.
More cells, better land cleaner ones are
needed for the men, and they should be
compelled to keep them in order when
once they are given respectable quarters.
Sunlight and fresh air should be free to
all, even though deprived of their liberty.
AS to the women, society demands there
should be a separate place provided and a
police-matron in charge. A small cottage
could be procured and fitted up with COM
paratively little expense to the city, and
tits earnestly hoped that the mayor and
the council will make ameloration of
those unfortunate ones whose false ideas
Of life and circumstances have made them
what they are.
There is such thing as criminal indif-
ference, and while women have suffered to
be apathetic in regard to the care and
treatment of those less favored than them
selves. it is fact that never dawned upon
their minds that they had any responsible
ity in the matter, but women now are
equally responsible and have equal power
if they will use it, to help right existing
evils in towns and cities.
1t is duty and should be considered a
privilege for every woman to help in this
work. ,. ,.