The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-04-27
Bad Sanitary Condition of
the State Prison De-
nounced by Inspect
or Packer.
DOUBLING UP THE CoNyICTS.
Defective Plumbing and Over.
crowding Cause Bad Smells
and Sickness.
sp,cial to the Jerseu Citu Neaps.


TRENTON April 81. 1S92.-lnspectoS
Packer, in his report to the Board of
Health Monday. gave the following ac-
count of the condition of the State
Prison, which he recently visited:-
Accompanied by my assistant, Mr..
Tindall, made sanitary inspection OF
the New Jersey State Prison. Upon
reaching the prison we found that Mr..
j. II. Patterson, keeper. was absent from
the city. The doorkeeper, Mr.. Provost
however, upon being informed Of the Off
cial characte of my visit. conducted us
to the centre and presented us to the
Marshal, who, in furtherance Of my duty
placed us under the care of Mr.. C. Rich-
ardson, an underKeeper. who gave us fukl
access to the entire institution.
''The first wing we visited was the one
designated as the East wing, which con-
tains 132 cells. The water closets. which
are in the cells, have the old-fashioned
hoppers; the flush Of water Is wholly In
sufficient. The two wash sinks are IN
bad condition; the pipes have traps, but
the Joints are sealed with putty, in
stead of white lead. This is direct VIOLA
tion of the plumbing laws OF this State.
All the cupboards underneath these sinks
should be taken out, and the sinks left to
stand on iron legs.
'aThe second wing visited was the West
wing This wing has 174 cells; all of these
cells are in bad sanitary condition. There
being no water closets in these cells the
convicts are compelled to use dunn1k1ns.
This disregard of the health of the pris-
oners in this nineteenth century, in the
light Of modern appliances for sanitary
purposes, without even the excuse of in
ability to meet the expense of such neces-
sary provisions, is without jurisdiction on
the part of the State. l have reliable In
formation that the stencil from this wing
in the early morning Is intolerablY nox-
ious. This foul air permeates to a greater
or less extent the whole of the prison, and
this, from q sanitary standpoint, Is q
burning shame. 1t Is disgrace to tho
State of New Jersey to maintain a prison
in SO unhealthy q condition. The wash
sinks In this wing have no traps and the
cupboards are in a general bad sanitary
condition, being infested with croton
bugs and reaches and emitting h1Ghly
offensive odor.
1.-The walls and cells are clean and in
good condition. The floors of che corri-
uses more or less chloride of lime daily as
necessary disinfectant. which proper
plumbing would render unnecessary.
Each of these cells should have water
closet supplied with a flush tank, that
would insure q sufficient quantity Of
and thus keep the hopper clean. These
places. however, cannot be put in first
class condition without soil and vent tpipes
to the closets.
''The next wing we visited was tho
North Hail. This wing has 27S cells and
$50 prisoners, with sewerage to the river
and wash SINKS without traps. The cells
are In bad sanitary shape. The water
closets in each cell scarcely have any
flush and there are no soil or vent pipes.
The water which furnishes the scanI
flush is taken directly from the feed pipe
and is totally inadequate. Such connec-
tion with the feed pipe is in violation OF
the sanitary code.
FOUR IN A CELL.
1--WE next visited the South Hall. In
this hall there are as many as four prison..
ers in some of the cells. The sanitary ar
rangements are as bad as in other wings.
3 Shop No, is in bad sanitary condition.
There Is no flush to the closet and 1t has
the old style hopper. Shop No. 2 is in
very bad sanitary condition. Shops Nos.
8 and likewise. Shop No. has an old
fashioned open closet and IL is generally
in bad condition. Shops Nos. 6. z and s.
old closets and bad condition. Shop No.
| 10 (shoe shop, bad sanitary condition.
| Shop No. IL. bad supply of water.
''The women's department.. presided
over by Mrs. j. III. Patterson, has poor
| flush, old fashioned pan closets anu in-
adequate supply of water to each basin,
| SO that when one flows the other has
none. The cells are in bad sanitary
| condition. The walls and floor are scru-
pulously clean.
| fair condition. There are some improves
| ments which. If made, would be benefi-
! cial to the institution. The old cook hall
as it was formally called, now used for
storage purposes. is in fair sanitary con-
ditlon. We often, in the exercise of our
| official duty, have to separate parties.
| where there are too many crowded into
| small quarters. l find in the State Prison
seven prisoners slowed away in small L-
| shaped cell. This is an outrage on humans
| ity, and whoever Is responsible for this
should see to it that the evil Is remedied
Immediately. Here is an opportunity
| for the State Charities Aid to display
their powers. l am surprised that they
should have permitted this matter to es-
| cape their attention.
| THE PLUMBING DEFECTIVE.
aside from the plumbing, which is
wholly defective and much of it in VIOLA
| tion of the State laws and the health
code, the prison is kent cleau and is in u
good sanitary condition. Mr.. j. II. Pat
| terson, the principal keeper, is fully up
to the requirements of the position, but
is badly handicapped by the wretched
plumbing to which have referred.
"If the New Jersey Lunatic Asylum re-
quired its plumbing to be in a hrst-elass
sanitary condition, then why should not
the State Prison do the sameP The plumb
| ing in the prison would not be tolerated
| one moment by those in authority at the
| Asylum. The Asylum authorities would
not compel 250 of their inmates to be kept
in rooms without water closet. This
| evil cannot be remedied too soon in the
| State Prison"
| wanamassa Y. M. @. A. Camp.