The Jersey City news., 1899-12-11

49,
enough powers to exact a full compliance
| with the provisions of the election law.
| We request that the Court direct the
! County Clerk to return the ballots used
1 in the last spring election and now in his
custody having been there deposited by
| this Grand Jury. In relation to the re-
I cent general election this Grand jury re-
| ports that the heads of the police de-
| partments in the various municipalities
in the county were severally summoned
before tbs Grand Jury after the last day
| of registry and were directed to report the
number of voters by affidavit.
This they sle failed to Do s,,o but subse-
| City, Hoboken, Bayonne, Union Hill and
| Harrison We're summoned, and upon be-
ing asked why they had not 50 reported
any fraud and had not been requested by
| the representatives of any political party
to make any investigation. and they also
orally made by the representatives of the
different parties. Under the circum-
tion made by this Grand Jury during the
limited time at its disposal we. present
that there Is no evidence to show that
the election was not honestly conduced
In regard to the management of the
county institutions and the County Court
House and County Jail we call attention
court house building has been in use since
March II. 1915 The rear addition was
erected some twelve years ago. In lS45
the entire county had population now
equal by some of the smaller towns in
the county The county now has the same
accommodations 1t had In 1916. The rear
addition referred to is at most mere
makeshift and inadequate to the county's
growing wants in the decent administra-
ton OF justice, and the transaction of the
public business; and as is well known to
all, the different rooms are very small
and badly lighted and poorly ventilated
and necessary things do not exist at ali
0yr
witnesses about to testify before the
Grand Jury.
since been too small for the criminal
populat ton always within its walls. In one
ward to which short term offenders are
committed we found sixty inmates sup
piled with only twenty-one cells. The
penitentiary should receive these defend
ants and relieve this pressure. We also
found large number of boys crowded
into single ward which was practically
lone room wit individual cells No OPP
portunity here afforded to the associa-
tions devoted to the work of the reforma-
tion of Juvenile offenders to make any
progress in their good work. The effort
now making to secure separate house
with grounds for the detention of juvenile
offenders in this county Is warmly recon-
mended. We also found that while the
Jail is keptin clean condition, the
closets are unsanitary and endanger the
only in said Jail awaiting trial. All the
prisoners in one department use some
half dozen closets, badly out of re-
arise from these closets poisoning
the atmosphere. and the closets them
selves in their present conditions serve as
sive disease from the different inmates to
the others. There are very bad conditions
existing in the boys department. Here
there usually are youths of all ages. These
/ boys need nutritious food to sustain
growth, but under the present system,
they are compelled to remain nineteen
hours without food; then they are furnish
ed with bread and coffee at nine o'clock in
the morning and bread and soup at two
o'clock in the afternooon,, after which
O'clock the next morning. In the wit
ness detention room for men we found
that the bed clothing was decidedly clean.
courages this condition of affairs since
each inmate is supported at SO much per
| day.
The County JAIL of course, is not in
| ishment or commitment of convicted
| criminals, but is only a place of deten-
tion for those awaiting trial; yet, we
present that this County Jail is Kept ILL
| ed beyond its limits nearly all the time,
because of the improper action of the
different Justices and Police justices.
Prisoners are sent by these Justices to
the County Jail when they should go to
| the Penitentiary, and a less number is
sent to. the County Farm from Jersey
| City, where the number of criminals is
larger and where the police courts sit
and daily commit, than from Hoboken
and Bayonne. Thus while there is ann
pie accommodation at the County Farm,
| the same is not taxed in any way, and
| the large force of employees there is kept
practically idle because the prisoners that
should be sent there are sent by the JUS
tices to the County Jail. This Grand
Jury desires to call attention to the quail
ity of food furnished at Snake Hill. This
food is not at all times what it ought
| to be and might be, and particularly is
this the case with the bread Enough
is annually wasted in these institutions
| to at least furnish the inmates herein
with good bread.
The buildings at Snake Hill we found to
be in general we'll kept. The Almshouse
| improved, if it is to remain filled with in
mates. A much desired Improvement at
| the asylum would be the separation of
the feeble-minded from the distinctly in
sane. Such a separation IS always recon-
mended by those conversant with the
management and treatment of the feeble
minded and the insane, there being radi-
| cally different methods employed to allie
| viate or cure.
The wardens of the said institutions at
Snake Hill apparently perform their
! of the inmates in their charge is con-
cerned and they are entitled to due recog
| milton therefor.
| This Grafd Jury has been impressed in
| their examination of the cases presented
| to the Prosecutors Office with the care
! lessness and neglect of some of the com
| mitting magistrates of the county in the
/ discharge Of their duties Great negli-
| genee in preparing and sending the neces-
| sary papers for the action of the Grand
! Jury is apparent on the face of the
| papers themselves. In some cases COM
1 plants are not sent to the Prosecutors
! office for weeks after the defendant has
been committed to the County Jail to
| await the action of the Grand Jury, and
| the Grand Jury therefore, cannot act on
| the case, and the defendant, innocent or
| not must remain in jail. Nor can
defendant who applies for a speedy trial
| is his right under the statutes be dealt
| with or tried owing to the absence of the
L ,aescessar.1r cnr1lrllaint or accuSa tiOn.