Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-08

spend the money for food. When extra
money is turned in this way the prisoner is
allowed to send for p steak or chicken or
physician. White prisoners seem to prefer
steaks while a chicken Is, always accepta-
BILE to the coiored brother The expenditure
of this money is permitted at the end of
each week. and the village baker and
butcher get the benefit of additional sales.
Hours Of Labor.
As rule there are about $50 men at work
in the shops. During a prisoners stay in
the prison his habits must necessarily be
regular, and the complete change of diet
usually benefits him.. In the morning the
rising bell sounds at $3.50 o'clock, and f1f-
teen minutes later the prisoners are expect
ed to be at the breakfast table They are
required to walk from the shops to the din
ing hall in an orderly manner Three en-.
frances to the dining hall make it possible
for the men to quiceiy enter or leave the
building. 1t is about O'clock when they
| reach the shops and begin their days work.
Dinner is served at noon and the third
meal is served before the men retire to
their cells for the night.
In addition to performing their tasks in
the shops they are given an opportunity to
get some exercise in the open air and are
given time for reading and for playing
upon musical instruments, the latter be-
tween and I o'clock. Following this the
prisoners have two hours in which to read
q library of more than 10000 volumes
Each night 100 of the prisoners are re-
ouired to attend school. This is for the
benefit of the illiterates: Each man who is
unable to read and write when he enters
| the prison is given instruction five nights
in the week for period of eight months
at the end of which time he steps aside
and makes room for another.
All prisoners are supposed to be in their
cells at o o'clock when the bugle sounds.
| and the lights are extingushed. Only a
short time is then REQUIRED IN undressing
and retiring. The extra privileges are Civ
| en- only to those who are regarded as
model prisoners, and such men are permit
ktcd to converse quietly with their neigh
Ehors for a short time after going to their
| cells.
Religious Services Sunday.
| The monotony of prison life is varied on
SUNDAYS. when religious services are held
| in the chapel which is fitted with opera
| chairs and has a seating capacity of LEO.
| Provision for the women prisoners and
| guests is made in the gallery. An immense
| nine organ furnishes the music and If there
| is no prisoner in the penitentiary who can
| perform on the instrument a volunteer
| from the outside presides.
! The kitchen is an important feature of
| the prison, and the prisoner who gets an
| assignment there is usually considered
! fortunate. In a sense the kitchen is to
| the Institution what the kitchen is to a
I
| food depends health, and the prison rec
| ords in this respect show that those who
J are fed from the kitchen here are gener-
| ally in the best of health. There are, of
| course some exceptions to this rule.
! Some prisoners are physical wrecks when
| they come here and are in such condition
| that they cannot expect to be restored to
| their normal health in short time-if at
| all Experienced bakers are employed,
and the warden boasts that the bread is
| as good the average bread that is
| found in bakeries.
| All the cooking has to be done on
| wholesale plan, there j. an average
| of 900 persons fed each day. About 900
| pounds of meat are usually served at
| meal. Fresh meat is served four times
| week, fried bacon serves for the principal
meal one day and fish of some kind is
| served Fridays. The remaining days bo-
T logna or packed ham is served Water is
I on the menu at every meal
Several kinds of cereals are served and
| prunes, rice, dried fruits and vegetables
| of all kinds are to be found upon the bill
| of fare. During the summer season when
vegetables are grown on the prison farm
the prisoners are supplied with them
lhen they get corn on the cob and let
| tuce. as well as tomatoes, cabbage onions
and string beans
System of Punishment.
Punishments for viola lions of the rules
of the prison graded to make them
commensurate with the offenses committed
| one punishment is a reduction of rations
| and another is a bread and water diet. the
extent of deprivation of food to be at the
discretion of the physician For some in
1racuonS the penalty may be solitary con-
| hnement on a bread and water diet, but
| such punishment is not to last more than
| twenty-four hours at time Buckins and
gagg1ng IS only resorted to in extreme
cases of lnsubordina ton, gross violations of
| the rules or when the rules are repeatedly
violated. TIL p