Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-09-24
The County Jail.

The fact that the County jail is not such as i,
should be, has for some time been under con-
slderation by the County Government. 1t Is
used also by the City Government for prison
In cases coming under the Jurisdiction of the
Police and Hastings Court. The Judges of the
two Courts united in having an examination
of the premises made by committee well
qualified for the purpose. The report made
by the examiners, was. by the Courts, referred
to the County Board of Supervisors in session
the 18th instant. The report is copied in full
as well as the action taken by the Board OF
Supervisors.
The report was written by DIR. J. B. Catlett
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
To the Honorable John W. Stout, Judge OF
the County Court of Augusta County, and the
Honorable Charles Grattan, Judge of the Court
of Hastings for the City of Stanton
The undersigned, composing the joint Com
mittee appointed by your Honors to investi-
gate and report upon the condition of the Jail
of Augusta County and City of Staunton. re-
spectfully report that they have made a
careful personal inspection of said Jail aud
find that the jail building Is now arranged
The front rooms on the first and second floors
and the front basement are devoted to the Oc-
cupancy of the Jailer and his family; while the
first and second and the cellar floors in the
rear, separated from the front by passages are
used for the confinement of prisoners. Thus
1t will be seen that only one half of the build
ing is utilized for jail purposes. This half is
subdivided as follows: An upper floor consist
ing of three rooms, only two of which are used
for the confinement of prisoners namely those
at either end. the central room being used by
the jailor's family tor water closet. One OF
these two available rooms is now undergoing
repairs So that on this floor only one room is
at present available for jail purposes. In this
one room are now confined nine female pris-
oners. eight of whom are colored and one
ruhif a q dit1n0 N g nn0 nj h is nrn
feet by 151z feet. So many inmates crowded
into such contracted space render the SIM
plest conditions of sanitation impossible, and
seriously imperil the health of these prisoners.
The first floor contains three cells, the central
room of which is IL by 1871 feet. The end room
feet c5ntains three iunatics ali white men a
and one negro attendant. The cond ition of
this room is fair. The third room on this floor
on the east end contains five prisoners, all
white men, In the basement are three rooms.
those on the east and west ends containing
iron cages. These cages are ten by twelve feet;
and are sufficiently small to allow a passage
between the walls of the room and the cages.
These cages are damp and very poorly venti-
lated. At times pools of water stand on the
Only one cage is at present occupied, and this
by three negro boys and three negro men. The
room between the two cage-rooms is used for a
furnace room for heating purposes.
The bedding for all prisoners consists of a
straw-mattress and blauket-kicked to one
corner OF the room when not in use. Every
cell contains an open water. closet, which it is
left to the prisoners to flush or not after use, as
they are disposed.
The walls of the jail are in fair condition,
having been whitewashed since June, and
present clearly appearance.
The sewerage of the jail is effected by means
Of the the jaif distant some fifteen Of twenty yards
from the building The city sewerage also is
emptied into the same creek in the same local
ity, and the air in that vicinity is consequent,
ly noxious and liable to impair the health of
prisoners whose only means Of getting air is
from the windows fronting on this creek.
fat meat, and coffee without milk or sugar, for
breaks last. For dinner they are given hot
corn-bread, fat meat, and one vegetable with
soup. For supperithey nave bread and molas.
SEES.
The ventilation of the Jail is of the worst
character. Most of the cells have two win
dows. but unfortunately they all face upon the
| creek where the sewerage spoken of above is
| emptied. There is no cross ventilation; nor
are there any extraction shafts for expired air.
The Tailor states that when the cell doors front
ing on the passage separating the jail proper
from that part used By the jailor's family are
opened, the stenches entering these passages
are almost unbearabie.
This condition of affairs renders disease inn
nlinent at any time. We see no defect in the
structural security OF the JAIL but at the time
of its erection sanitation certainly played a
secondary part.
Your Committee. in view of the premises, re-
That the space.for inmates is entirely too
contracted and limited, the average number
being Twenty-Five, though there are at present
only twenty-four. Yet nine of these are coa-
fined in one cell 1871 by l51I. The largest num-
Der of Inmates at any time since the war is
thirty seven. If this number were now in the
jail its accommodations would be entirely in
adequate, however much crowded.
We recommend that the whole of the jail
building be used for jail purposes, and that a
residence for the jailor be built on the adjoin-
ing lot, which has IS feet front and runs back
40 to 50 feet. The whole of the interior of the
present jail-buiding should be remodeled by
q competent architect to effect proper yentlla-
tiop and give proper space.
We further suggest the propriety of It chain
gang, which would couduce to the health OF
the male prisoners and. in some of them at
least, inspire a fear of punishment which
should go far towards the prevention Of crime.
We are of opinion that the jail needs imme-
diate attention, on account of it's bad santa
ton and its contracted space.
Very respectfully.
Jos. A. WADDELL,
Jos. B. WOODWARD.
j. II. WAYT,
VIM H. MooRMAN,
j. b. CATLETr, M, D.