The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-18
HAYES MAKES TRIP
THROUGH PRISONS
Bath on SouthSide Consists of a
Wooden Trough
NORTHSIDE IN FAIR SHAPE
IN the Southside Between 30 and 1875
Men Are Housed In One Room,
Where Ventilation Is En-
tirely Inadequate.

1t was learned yesterday that the police
and sanitation committee of the. City
Council will take up the investigation
of the city prison, as instructed by the
council this week.
The committee received instructions to
investigate the prisoners after the adop-
ton of a resolution coming from Alder
man B. II. Cooper, a member of the
committee. This resolution was based on
the annual report of the city physician
DR.. Oscar Hayes, which termed the con-
dltions prevailing at one of the prisons
as barbaric and inhumane, in the eN-
IRENE.
Yesterday, on request, DIR. Hayes point
ed out to a representative of The Age
Herald wherein the city prisons were de-
ficient. and showed his reasons for his
severe criticism.
In the investigation which followed, it
was shown that Alderman Jones was
right in his unique distinction between
the prisons of the northside and the south
side, when he declared that the north
side prison. in comparison with the south
side, was as a Waldorf-Astoria to Dixie
restaurant.
Northside Prison In Fair Shape.
DIR. Hayes pointed out in the north
side prison a fairly good sanitary condi-
ton. There are two places wherein pris-
oners can battle each being provided with
shower baths The plumbing, DR.. Hayes
says, is very good. He declares the num-
Der of cells in all departments limited.
and that the Jail is often overtaxed and
crowded The chief fault with this prison
were its limited space. its weak walls, its
lack of provision to keep the sexes sep
arated and the fact that the prisoners are
in the charge of a stevedore, who is him
self a prisoner and a convicted one.
In the southside prison where convicted
negroes work out their sentences, one is
impressed with the fact that there is
a. lack of the steel work and bars gen.
orally seen at jails The prison is sim
ply big room with a front door. The
hunks are of wood and In three tiers,
following the wall along three sides of
the room. On these hunks are placed
blankets averaging two to bunk
Go a Year Without New Clothes.
The negro custodian was asked how
many men usually remained in that prison
and he replied between so and 125. He
was asked concerning the change Of bed
ding. and stated that the blankets were
never removed from their places except
when they had become worn out. He
was asked, too, concerning the change OF
clothing furnished the prisoners, the fall
ure to do which on the part of the city
was referred to in the PHYSICIANS report.
He declared that the prisoners were never
furnished a change of clothing unless the
clothing came from relatives. and that
often men went a whole year without
changing their wearing apparel.
Trough Constitutes Bath
The place furnished by the city as a..
suite of baths" for the prisoners was
next inspected. The place wherein hum
bred strappng men are expecte to battle
is nothing more or less than trough.
1t is probably twelve feet long, eighteen
inches wide, and eighteen inches deep.
man could hardly get his body into
this ''bath" The warden was asked IL
the men ever bathed He replied Some
of them get in this in the summer"
He could not say that he had ever seen
a man battle in the winter
DR.. Hayes was asked concerning the
ventilation of this prison. The room is
about 5Ox45x20 feet, making a total os
40 900 cubic feet. One man, when the
light and ventilation are good. requires
1000 cubic feet according to DR.. Hayes.
This prison then, providing 1t was better
ventilated and lighted, would serve COM
fortably but As men. The warden states
that he averages more than 80 prisoners
As stated the investigation by the po-
lice and sanitation committee will be ge-
gun this week. DIR. Hayes will accom-
pany the committee through the jails,
and will give testimony before the body
when it is in session.