Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-03-27
IT NEEDS FIXING.
County Jail Is Poorly Ventilated and
Unsanitary.

II has long been known to the
commissioners that the Otero county
jail was inadequate for the needs OF
the county, and in fact the last grand
jury tersely reported that the. Jail
was too small and recommended that
immediate steps be taken to enlarge
the structure, but at its very worst
the Jail was not supposed to be such
a bad place to house the county's
Charges. A report now comes from
the National Prison Association re-
vealing a deplorable condition at our
county Jail, IL it be true.
For the past year hundreds OF
trained men and women in the en-
vestigating the conditions OF the jails
throughout the country. These re-
ports have now been published and
the report OF the Inspector as to
how Otcro county cares for its pris-
oncrs is as follows:
The changes most needed in the
Otero county jail, are that provision
be made for work and exercise. and
that jail be built large enough TO
allow for the proper segregation of
prisoners. The worst feature OF the
Jail Is that, owing to the crowded
condition. no provision for clasSiti-
cation OF prisoners can be made. OF
the twenty-seven prisoners on the
day of inspection. three were await
ing trial, four were under jail SEN
fences or detained because unable to
pay a fine. eight were sentenced TO
state prison. two were wcak-mirdcd.
nine were sentenced to a reiorma-
tory, and one was n boy waiting to
be transported TO the reform school.
-The building is comparatively 4
new stone structure and Is said to
be safe and strong. There arc two
cells ten feet square on each side OF
a ten foot hall space. and one cell
ten feet square on the other side.
On the mems side is also located the
bath cell.
"The county allows fifty cents per
head each day for board. The food
Il said to be fair in quality and m
adequate quantity. although no diet
AIRY was furnished to the visitor.
The bedding consists OF spring cots
and blankets which arc not washed
very often because they arc mostly
new The visitor was not able 10
ascertain whether in. the history OF
the Jail an occupant had ever chang
ed III, underwear. The county has
been known. however. on some oeea-
sions to furnish such changes. The
ventilation Is poor and the close
. proximity Of the closets 10 tho cells
IL very dangerous from sanitary
po,n, of view. The only bathing
facility l. a tub in the department
devoted 10 the men. There ], no
tub In the womsu's section.
There 10 no provision for the cs:
eFeisc II pSsouers. a particularly bad
case In view OF the fact that three
cells with floor space OF 100 square
feet contained twcn,y-scvcn prison
crs a, the time Of inspection. This
means that there were but eleven
square feet for each prisoner aud
one Of them = growing boy.
Absolutely no provision Is made
for occupation. All that tho pFis-
oncrs can do TO pass away tho time
IL by reading aud playing cards.
Otcfo county has apparently 4 good
opportunity for reformation" =.
The La Junta Tribune saws ,ha, II
the O,cro county jail was inspected
during the pas, wear by an inspector
OF the National Prison Association y,
was without the knowledge OF Sheriff
Potter. The prcscn; sheriff and his
predecessor. Sheriff Barr. assert that
at no time were there ever AZ pris-
orc-s confined In -,,e Otcro county
jail.