Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-13
HOW TO MAKEJAILS
Mas the Subject Discussed Be-
fore the Supervisors.
The OFFICERS FEES MATTER
Was Referred TO the Committee On SzlsE-
s=s-Mofc Money Needed to Pay
on Court House Bonds.

OF Court House Bonds.
Tbs board of supervisors yesterday
devoted mos. of the day 10 discus
SION Of the plans for the improvement
OF the Jail. Two plans were submitted
with rough estimates. according 10 enc
of which the jail could DO built for
SCI 900 and the other for SIS 500. These
plans were submitted to give tho MEM
bers an idea OF the probable manner
and the cost Of the Improvement con-
templated.
The report of the committee on f.
nance. recommending that the su-
preme court reports be placed Ia the
prosecuting attorneys office was
adopted. The report of the same COM
mitteo IN regard 10 the employment OF
medical attendance at the jail and IN
the poor department was adopted. The
committee recommended that the su-
perlntendents Of the poor be authorized
to employ such medical service for the
county, including inmates of the jail
aud the examination OF the insane, AS
they think necessary for the ensuing
year. The adoption OF this report does
away with regularly appointed coun-
| " physician and leaves the superin.
tepients of the poor free to employ =
doctor whenever they deem it neces-
| sary.
The committee on public buildings
recommended that the living rooms III
the jail be papered and that some new
furniture be purchased for the office.
The report WAS adopted.
What the Jail Needs
The same committee reported as
follows on the improvement OF the
jail:
"The grounds on which the present
| building stands are of sufficient eize
and in rs good location rs could be
had so near our courts being we'll iso-
lated from the resident districts of the
city. The resident portion of the build
| ing Is IN good condition, and could,
with n small expense, be made AS good
as could be wished for. The dining
| room and kitchen are now too small,
and could be made larger by utilizing
| the present large entrance hall and Of
| tice. The jail part OF the building
should be remodeled to make an Office
| for the ]ailer and stairway OF suti
Gent size so that no difficulty would be
experienced in taking prisoners on the
uppel floors. Wash and bath rooms
should be provided for each floor. The
! cells now IN use should be utilized and
so arranged on the three floors to care
for insane, juveniles and women pris-
| oners ST. parate aud distinct from each
other, and should be made light aud
airy and put IN good sanitary condI-
ton. A wing should be bnilt
on the west side of SAID build.
ing of sufficient size for holding not
less than forty double cells to be of
the best ana most secure style.
BY so doing over 200 inmates could he
cared for without difficulty. The So
called "debtor" cells on the second
floor of the resident portion could be
dispensed with if deemed best and cells
built on the second floor over the keep.
er's office when recodeled. The re-
port was tabled while q representative
of the Van Dorm Iron company OF
Cleveland was allowed to explain his
plans for repairing and rebuilding of
the jail. HIS rough estimate Of the
cost of building the Jail. according to
his plans, was s27 900. He guaranteed
that the final estimate would be within
that sum. Mr.. Johnson, the agent, Wa:
requested TO have the models and
samples of material on hand at {
O'clock.
Plans and Estimated
Mr.. Thomas Lewis of the Pauly Jai
Building company of St. LOUIS, ap
peared before the board and said hs
did not wish to talk any cheap plans OF
cheap material. He would ADVISE M
outside ornament to the building. II,
would put the money into good lnte-
rior material. He did not have com
pleted plans and was there to advis,
the board how best 10 improve the jai
and TO give an idea of how much !
would cost, provided the people de
clded 1t should be built. He said tn,
jan was not penal institution. 1t wa
iateDded n ore as q place where prison
ers are detained to await trial IN tn,
courts. They should not, there
fore, be treated as criminals
His plans contemplated allowin,
two men to occupy the same Gel 81
that they would have each Others 60
ciety. lie advised the best steel cell
tor the worst criminals and cheaue
materials for the women, juveniles ane
insane cells. His plans had q capaclt,
for ninety prisoners with room fo
twelve ceils on the third floor whe,
needed. His rough estimate for tn,
Improvement was $50 500. This es,i
mate was based on the idea of uslnc
nothing but the best material in use
He proposed to make the jail az goo,
a. any jail IN the United States. He di,
not advise the use of IRON hunks. bu
instead regular jail hammocks which
We're the latest device for jaiis. H.
sald the stone floors in the old iaj
would have TO be removed in order I,
remove the foul smell which thes,
stones had absorbed.
Report on Onscer's Fees.
The rep RI of the crosse cutting attor
new, ststlDg his opinion as published il
THE HERALD of yesterday, r-gardins
the taking If fees In the Offices o
register, treasurer and clerk. was reac
and referred TO the committee OF
salaries.
Treasurer Stebhins submitted a r.
port OF the condition of the county,
finances at the close of business Jan
usry IL. II showed only 1882. "A @
available funds tn which to pa,
as, 800 court house bonds and inter