The age-herald., 1900-03-08
CONDITION OF
 THE CITY PRISON Judge Feagin Addresses Com- muniCatiOn to Council. DOES NOT MULCH HIS WORDS Says it is Unfit for Human
 H1Nitation.
 AN INC0Ns z ENCY POINTED OUT White = Black Men and Women Pf>- and Unt.ied Huddled ogether-Great Need y ofa Stockade

NObit udo duui SSStu u lO the mayor and board of aldermen regard- ing the condition of the city prison, which may be the means of bringing about some action by that body upon the question. Numerous reports by health officials calls ing attention to the unhealthy and unsanis tary condition of the prison have been made from time to time, but nothing was ever accomplished.
 Judge Feagin does not mulch words in dealing with the question. His communt- cation is as follows: Honorable Mayor ard Board of Aldermen
 of City of Birmingham:
 Dear Sirs-I write to call your atters ton !
 q. To the unhealthy condition of the city jail. 4
 'Z. To the great need of stockade.
 Tt has frequently happened during the recent cold weather in opening the door leading from the jal to the courtroom, for the prisoners to come in to be tried that the air has become so offensive with foul odors as to necessitate the raising of every window to allow the s.ckening smell to es, cape. If this condition is brought about in cold weather now, aIhat warm weather is coming on, the jail itself will become uns fit tor human habitation.
 
 to visit this prison house, you will realize more forcibly than pen can point, the toath- some surroundings. of the unfortunate in- mates Your high sense of human treatment of the Helpless and defenseless would cause you to give them fresh air at least, if no more This condition of the city jail is brought a5out by no fault of the city ware den to keep it clean.
 .'1she 1aii is made the place for keeping both the tried and untried prisoners. This state of affairs works an unnecessary hard ship upon both classes, the innocent and the guilty alike.
 After uae convcts have worked all day, under compulsion, in shacks, and dust and dirt and sweat, and returned to the city jail in their filthy plight for safe-keeping till the next day, they should have an op- portunity to wash their persons and ex- change their clothes for the nights rest at least. But instead, they work and sleep days and nights and weeks without bath ing or change of clothing. The poisonous affiuyia arising from fifty to seventy-ffve eonvicts thus worked and confined in poorly ventilated jail necessarily breeds lice and vermin, which sorey infect their beds and clothing. These sickening smells and loathsome surroundings the prisoners, the guilty and innocent, have to endure wi yhout power to prevent or alleviate. It is a sad fact that such has been the status of the city for years. Since Birmingham has had over 10000 inhabitants, with such large lawless and floating population. 1t has dema nded better quarters for those arrested and for those convicted. The city fathers have given thousands of dollars to charity, to building public schools for whites and blacks for paving, curbing and macadamZng streets and sidewalks yet she still clings to her first prison, where negro men and white men, negro women and white women are locked up together and race prejudices ignored. You punish negro and white man for playing ibil- lizards together, and on conviction you en- force closer social relations.
 Would it not be more in keeping with the spirit of humanity and of our progress sive city. to expend at least $2,500 on a stockade in which to confine the convicts?
 'In such place the whites could be kept separate from the blacks, the women could be worked at the washtub and ironing board, at working and mending garments. The prisoner could have place in which he could be made to take a shower bath. have a clean shirt in which to sleep, and above all have fresh air to breath, free from the disturbance of the drunk and dis orderly who now every night break his rest. Beside the prisoner would be kept in bet ter health and spirits and be able 10 do more and better work, and have his body free of vermin.
 "The mayors of the city have for years been forced to extend the pardonng power to prevent the jail from becoming over-
 
 loose upon the community the wicked and a able- bodied convict before he has served out his term of punishment, to ply again his lawless deeds. It frequently happens that since larceny of property under 8 in value from store, shop, warehouse or dwelling house, from the person. has been made a misdemeanor (which was re- gently a penitentiary offense) the prisoner be adequately punished by the court for fear of filling the jail to overfiowing. Your efficient street commissioner tells me he could work 300 convicts upon the streets; that such force could be profitably em- ployed on the public works demanded by the city. The mayor has often released or pardoned, on account of the condition of the city jail, $300 to $400 in fines and days due at hard labor for the city, In one month when, had there been a stockade in which to keep the prisoners. a large portion of those pardoned could have been made to serve out their term of service.
 "Would 1t not be more humane. would 1t not be more economical, would it not be more subservient to the ends of justice and protect society frome from the lawless and vicious to build a stockade for the con- victs before we build many more school houses for the ignorant? Very respectfully
 IN. B. FEAGIN."