The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-25
SAYS OFFICE OF STATE
 JAIL INSPECTOR NEEDED
Sick at Poorhouse Not Receiving At tention They Should and Insane Persons There Should Be
 Removed.

unl5n0u US WOrK yeSIefudy, anu dS ' o'clock in the afternoon submitted its final report to the criminal court.
 The grand jury's final report was lengthy and covered a great many subjects. It follows in full;
 We, the grand jury, beg leave to make the following report:
 Prisoners Awaiting Trial.
 We recommend that the present law. requiring each prisoner to be broughe be- fore the judge of probate and given his option as to whether he shall elect or not to work in the mines until his trial, be done away with. Our reason being that we are informed by the judge of pro- bate of this county that so far only four | have elected to do the work since the | law went into effect, and the coal com | panies employing convicts have positive | ly refused to take men under these condi- | tions, as short-time labor is not wanted | by them. The refusal on the part of the | coal companies to take them In makes It useless, in our Judgment, to continue the trouble and expense of sending them be- fore the judge of probate and making them an offer that cannot be carried out We examined the condition of the coun- ty jail and recommend that the part or the old jail that Is now unused be thor oughly cleansed and overhauled, as 1t Is in dangerous condition as regards fire.
 County JaII.
 We found the prisoners, at the time of our examination, to be well fed as far as quantity and quality of food goes, but recommend that the warden be required to change the food oftener, especially the vegetables.
 Another matter of public interest is the management and the cost of the county iail We have been furnished state ment from the auditor of the state show ing that for the year 1900 the state paid the sheriff of Jefferson county for the feed of convicts the sum of $17,a5Sl, and for the months of September, October November and December 1901, and Janu- ary, 1902, he was paid $9216.90, or at the rate of $22,22S56 per annum.
 The present system Is vicious in that it offers a premium to the sheriff to stint the feed of the prisoners; and while we do not by this recommendation mean to condemn the sheriff of Jefferson county particularly, it is too much to expect that many men can withstand the temptation of reducing the feed of prisoners for their personal profit. We think that the jail should be put in charge of the coun- ty board of revenue. and that all bills for the feed of prisoners, and all ex- penses incident to the jail, should be passed upon by the board of revenue and paid out of the county treasury, and that the hire of convicts and other sources of revenue that now go to the state treas- ury, and are paid directly to the sheriffs, should be paid into the county treasury. In this way the public are kept advised as to what the jail and the feeding of prisoners is costing the public.
 State JaIl Inspector Recommended. It is to be noted that under existing laws the supervision and care of persons incarcerated by the public authorities does not begin until after they are con- victed Persons held upon criminal charges for want of bond have no bene- fit of any inspection or supervision until they are convicted, and we think that there should be a state jail inspector, or some other like officer. or board of in- spectors, with like powers and duties as the convict inspectors, and scuh addi- tional powers as may be deemed neces- sary to secure complete examination of the jails.
 Almshouse.
 We visited the poor house. and recom- mend that more care and attention be given to the sick wards. In our Judg- ment the sick at the poor house are not receiving as careful attention as they should have the bedding and the rooms in the sick wards not being as cleanly as they should be.
 We also recommend that such steps be | taken as may be necessary to enable the insane patients who are at the poorhouse I to be sent to the insane asylum at Tusca- 1 loosa instead of being kept at the poor house. We wish especially to emphasize this recommendation. as. in our judg- ment. there are some insane patients now at the poor house who from every Nx- l.. asylum.
 Concealed Weapons.
 We respectfully recommend to the petit jurors of the county that any case com ing before them, where the parties are being tried for carrying concealed weap- ons. that they be given the full penalty of the law as 1t has been demonstrated in the cases brought before us that a very large part of the murders and at- tempts of murder committed in the coun- ty would not have been committed had not the parties at the time of their anger had on their persons some deadly weap- on. We deeply deplore the cheap price so many of our citizens put upon human life, and we believe that the strict enforce ment of the law by the petit juries against carrying concealed weapons. with a more uniform and a surer punishment of parties guilty of participating in cut ting and shooting affrays. would tend to diminish this class of crime.
 Number of Terms of the Grand Jury.
 We recommend that there be four terms of the grand jury instead of three, and we find the volume of work to be so great that 1t requires the grand jury to either go over 1t too hurriedly or else 1t keeps the men on the grand jury too long a time from their business, our session hay ing lasted about six weeks; and, as any one can see, if 1t Is desirable to have the grand jury composed of the substantial laborers, farmers, mechanics and busi- ness men of the county. 1t is working serious hardship on any of them to keen them from their regular employment as long as six weeks out of year.
 Fine and Forfeiture Fund.
 The present system of a fine and for feiture fund works great injustice botb to the state witnesses and the public in it's practical operation. A witness sum. moned by the state and compelled to an- pear receives for his attendance a cer- tificate for his fees of one dollar for each days attendance and five cents for each mile travelled by the usual route in com ing to the courthouse and returning to bis home. This certificate under existine laws, is not paid, but may be filed as 2 claim against the fine and forfeiture fund
 fCotnt1oued m ESot<h p.o~&