Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-08
Col Clay Found Nothing Else to
Criticise at the Jail.
RESULT OF Els RECENT INSPECTION
He Says He Could Discover Nc
Abuses There.
PRISONER DAvEY's CHARGES

Col. Cecil Clay, chief clerk Of the De-
partment of Justice, has submitted to the
Attorney General his report of the inspec-
ton that he was directed to make of the
Washington jail. about a month ago. In
1t he states that he found everything in a
satisfactory condition at the Jail. and his
recommendations as to changes are Of the
least Importance. Nine queries were put
to him to answer. as follows: 1. Can ex-
penses of maintaining 1t be reduced, and If
SO. in what direction; 2 Duties of en-
ployes and whether properly performed;
3. Number Of employees and whether it
should be less or more; 4. Should changes
be made in compensation of employees; g.
General management, whether extravagant
or economical; g. Discipline; Z. Treatment
and feeding of prisoners; s. Condition and
direction exist
Col. Clay says that he visited the jail on
several occasions, and found the general
condition to be excellent, as far as it's man
It's approaches are kept "scrupulously
neat" In answer to the various items Of
inquiry, .he reports:
l.. l see no direction in which It is
feasible to reduce the expenses of man.
| egement now. The supervision by the De-
partment of Justice of the purchase of all
supplies has reduced the cost of feeding
prisoners to a very low figure and under
existing conditions-the isolated location of
the Jail and difficulty of access to It'll con-
slider reduction in the cost Of the running
force impracticable.
80. Duties are reasonable not arduous;
| fairly distributed and we'll done.
%. Number ample. The night work
could be done with one man less, but to
reduce the force would require such
| changes in the hours and details as would
| be hardly warranted by the small saving
| Of one salary.
q. I suggest no change in salaries. The
cook, who gets a small salary, should be
| permitted to eat in the jail.
70. The management is economical The
| supplies are ha1 died and stored with care
| and used with discretion without waste.
All necessary work upon which 1t is pos
| sible to employ prisoners is done by them.
%. The discipline is excellent.
The Treatment of Prisoners.
81. Treatment as shown by limited per-
sonal observation, but amply sustained by
| the statements of the prisoners themselves,
| is firm but impartial, the only complaint
with foundation being as to insufficient ex-
| ercise. This can be remedied by changing
| the hour for admission of visitors from 10
| to 1880 o'clock am, SO that from $50 to
| 1870 the prisoners on each of the four
| corridors can get thirty minutes exercise.
The food is ample in quantity and good in
| quality, with the exception of occasional
lots of herring issued for breakfast I
recommend the striking of herring from
| the Till of fare. The cooking is good, and
| the handling of the provisions as well as
| the condition of the boxes for meals, cups
and cooking untensilS very cleanly The
meals are served in oblong tin boxes, with
necessarily sharp corners and angles. If
| these could be stamped out of sheet metal,
| so as to present curved surfaces, much
| time and work would be saved in cleaning
them
IS The sick are cared for promptly in
| their. cells. but really sick prisoners should
not be treated there, but in the hospital, q
| large room in the southwest corner of the
central building, which should be suitably
fitted up, supplied with proper water closet
and sink fixtures, cots. etc.
~ l examined privately every prisoner,
employe and official of the JAIL without
discovering the existence of any abuses
Davey's Charges Disposed OF.
During my examination Of the Jail there
were given me letters Of March 30 AMI
April ., 1885, written by Robert w. Davey,
containing certain specific statements Of &C.
currences alleged to have taken place in
the Jail at various times during December.
1894. and January and February, 1895. each
statement being in some sense a charge
against the management of the tail Mr.
Davey was given every opportunity to pre-
sent his charges to the department and SUP
stantiate them, but failed to appear at any
of the times set for hearing him can dis
pose OF these charges in general, after in
dependent investigation, by saying that
there is nothing in them to call for criti-
cism upon the management of the jail"