The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-09-25

"a OON*oJ
ing action has been taken by the judges
of the county and city courts, through
a committee appointed for the purpose.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
To the Honorable John W. Stout, Judge of the
| County Court Of Augusta County, and the Hon
Hastings for the City Of stau9ton '''e oou'' y
The undersigned, composing the joint Conn
anG nDon ~ o candt 70 nv IN e
Augusta County and City of Staunton, respect
fully report that they have made careful per-
sOnal inspection OF said jail and find that the
jail building Is now arranged and used as fol:
lows
and front basement are devoted to the Occu7
pancy of the Jailer and his family; while the
separated from the front by passages, are used
for the confinement OF prisoners. Thus it will
1tsed oa a ony This I 'h na IS
vided as follows: An upper floor consisting 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 jailers
family for 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 prisoners, eight
OF whom are cOlOred and one white. The dimen-
siOns OF this room are l6H feet by 15A feet SO
space render the simplest conditions of santa
ton impossible. and seriously imperil the health
of these prisoners. The first floor contains three
cells, the central room of which is II by 161 feet.
The end room on this floor on the western side,
l5H by l6x feet, contains three lunatics all
dition OF the 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 contain
Ing iron cages These cages are ten by twelve
feet; and are sufficiently small to allow pas
sage between the walls OF the room and the
cages. These cages are damp and very poorly
ventilated: AT times pools of water stand on
the floor of these rooms, from defective plumb
ing. Only one cage is at present occupied, and
this by three negro boys and three negro men:
for a furnace room for heating purposes.
The bedding for all prisoners consists of a
ner of the room when not in use. Every cell
contains an open water-closet, which it is left
to the prisoners to flush OF not after use as they
The walls of the Jail are in fair condition, hav-
ing been whitewashed since June, and present
Clearly appearance.
The sewerage Of the jail is effected by means of
two pipes opening into the creek at the rear of
the JAN, distant some fifteen or twenty yards
emptied into the same creek in the same locali-
ty, and the air in that vicinity is consequently
oners whose only means OF getting air is from
the windows fronting on this creek.
The prisoners food consists OF wheat bread,
fat meat and coffee without milk sugar, for
breakfast. For dinner they are given hot corn
For 5ae eT b ana 6ne eye
The ventilation Of the jail is OF the worst
character. Most of the cells have two windows,
where the sewerage spoken of above is emptied.
There is no cross ventilatiOn; nor are there any
extraction shafts for expired air. The jailer
states that when the cell doors fronting on the
passage separating the Jail proper from that
part used by the Jailer'S family are opened, the
stenches entering these passages are almost UNI
bearable.
This condition Of affairs renders disease immi-
nent at any time. We see no defect in the struc-
tural security of the JAIL but at the time OF its
erection sanitation certainly played secondary
part.
Your committee, in view of the premises, re-
Spectfully suggests: =
That the space for inmates is entirely too con-
tracted and limited, the average number being
twenty five, though there are at present only
twenty -four. Yet nine of these are confined in
one cell I6H by l5x. The largest number of in
Ii this number We're now in the Jail, its accom-
mOdat1OnS would be entirely inadeQuate how
ever much crowded. a
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 join
TO o. feet. The Whole Of the Interior of the Jail
archltect TO effect proper ventilation and give
proper space.
We further suggest the propriety of chain
gang, which would cOnduce to the health OF the
inspire fear OF punishment which should go
far towards the prevention OF crime.
we are of opinion that the jail needs imme-
qlate atgentlQn, ON account OF its bad Sail1ta-
ton and It's contracted space.
Very respectfully,
Jos. A. WAlpELL,
JOS B. WOODWARD,
]. H, WAYT,
WIN. H, MQORMAN,
j. Is. CATLETT, NJ. D.