The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-17
CITY PHYSICIAN
 SUBMITS REPORT Says the SouthSide Jail Should
 be Abolished NEW PRISON RECOMMENDED City Physician Describes Condition of Prisoners In the Prison, No Pro- vision for Change of Cloth
 ing Existing.
NEW PRISON RECOMMENDED

City Physician Hayes in his annual report submitted to Mayor Ward yes- terday condemns the Southside prison and recommends the erection of an en- tirely new prison.
 The following is the summary of his report;
 Submitting my report for the year end ing December 30 1905, 1 do not attempt to furnish a complete and accurate state ment of all cases treated by me or my predecessors in office during the past year. as my duties in the office of city physician have covered merely the unex- pired term of six months. I have not been furnished with ferns upon which to keep a record of charity work or of accidents to the firemen and policemen; but the tabulated report attached here to will show the number of charity cases cared for at the Hillman and St. Vim cent hospitals by the house staffs of tf csc institutions, and by the city and county physicians, and tho number of sick in the city jails during the past year. In the city jails, the greater part of all sickness and injuries requiring med ical attention Is contracted by the pris- oners before they cgmo into the pris- ons.
 Regarding Health Conditions.
 In the city prisons the sanitary con ditions are very bad. Practically no system exists in this respect. Change of clothing is not furnished to the pris- oners while in jail, regardless of the length of sentence, sometimes exceeding year. No clothing Is furnished pris- oners until their clothes wear out when a single suit of outer clothing is furnish ed. This clothing Is expected to last until literally worn out, or until the pris- n4,t1g 1,f iunl clothing is furnished, and this outer cloth ing is never laundered, but is thrown away when worn out.
 The prisoners are inadequately supplied with bedding One blanket Is the maxi mum furnished a single prisoner, and occasionally this is overlooked.
 The Southside prison Is not at all suit able for prison, and never was built for such, there being no provision foI bath and insufficient heating apparatus and the sleeping apartments are abso- lutely inadequate and non-sanitary. A large amount of disinfectant and germi- cdes Is used, but this cannot be sufficient for cleanliness in the present condition of the building
 bath tub has been installed In the small hospital room in the Northside jail
 Recommendation
 That all sinks be abolished in the North side jail and automatic flushing sinks be substituted.
 That new and modern jail be built to take the place of the Southside prison this jail to be large enough to aocommo- date all convicted prisoners, thus reliev- ing the congestion in both the Northsde and Southside prisons; this modern jail to be equipped with an ample supply oi shower baths.
 That a place be installed in which the female prisoners can do the laundering and mending of clothes for all the pris- oners.
 That the prisoners be furnished mat. tresses upon which to sleep, with suf- ficient covering to keep them comfort able.
 That the prisoners be furnished a change of clothing at least once a week. Re spectfully submitted
 OSCAR HAYES,
 City Physician There were total of 1i,s17 patients treated during the year. Two thousand four hundred and sixty-elght were in the city Jail. 6372 in the charity ward of St. Vincent hospital and 29T in the charity ward of Hillman hospital.