Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-29
CELLS ALL CROWDED
Jail and W0rkh0use Prisoners
Sleep in Corridors.
PROBLEM FACES KEEPERS
No Place to Put Expected Influx of
Winter Arrivals.
LIMIT NOW ABOUT REACHED
Larger Quarters Imperative Unless
Long-Termers Are Moved to
Prisons Elsewhere.

/
| buildings are terribly overcrowded and
| the superintendent of the two prisons do
| not understand just how the conditions
are soon to be relieved. In the Jail there
were only about fifty prisoners less than
| were confined there at the time 103 of
| them were removed to the federal prison
653 inmates at that time
THE average number of prisoners In
| the two institutions has been remarkably
large during the past summer one of
| the prison officials remarked last night
LAS a rule the number decreases during
the summer months, but the past summer
experienced no such decrease. In winter
weather the number is expected to show
an increase but If the coming winter
brings the usual increase l do not know
what will be done for their accommoda-
ton"
Prison officials realize that with the ap-
pearance of cold weather the undesirable
floating population is almost certain to
increase, and it Is more than likely that
many of the strangers will find their way
to the prisons 1t may be that the Off
Gals at the Department of Justice Will
send away another batch Of the local pris-
oners to Fort Smith. The journey to the
western prison is long and expensive
one. however. and the officials may find
d prison nearer THIS CITY Wnefe some VI
the prisoners may be accommodated. 1t
is stated that there Is plenty of room for
the District prisoners at Fort Smith. there
being not more than a dozen western
prisoners in the institution.
Sleeping in Corridors.
At the workhouse the men are quartered
in three buildings. Both new structures
are filled and the old building, which, it
is stated. is regarded as being an insani-
tary structure, is worse than crowded.
Two men are occupants of each CELL
while several of them are confined in
the larger cells and still others are sleep
ing in the corridors. 1t is probable that
the number of guards at the prison will
have to be largely increased should many
more prisoners be received. Supt. link
han Is doing the best he with the
buildings and assistants at his command,
but he fears the conditions will soon be-
come such that it will be difficult to cope
with them.
The building occupied by females is also
crowded, 1t requiring practically all the
floor space of the building to accommo-
date the 113 women who are now con-
fined there. Female prisoners are kept
employed most of the time some doing
laundry work, while others spend much
of their time sewing. Despite the crowd
ed condition of the building, it Is stated,
most of the women confined there seem
to be happy and are able to get along
without much trouble. None of them
Of them, prison officials say, their prison
life means only rest for them.
Idleness at the Jail
Over at the Jail the conditions are differ
ent. There is no work provided for the
prisoners and there are so many of them
in the building that Warden Mckee can
hardly give them the amount of exercise
they need. 1t is the warden's idea that
work should be provided for the prisoners.
but congressional legislation will be neces-
sary before anything of that kind can be
attempted Much of the work about the
building is performed by prisoners, but
such work provides employment for but
few of them. The congested condition of
the Jail has compelled the officials to util-
iZe practically every inch of the building
for the accommodation of the prisoners.
and it has become necessary to use parts
of the corridors for storerooms.
Fifteen of the prisoners will be taken
away to the penitentiary at Moundsville,
w. Va. tomorrow morning. Their going
will be only a slight and temporary re-
lief, however. as the judges Of the Police
Court will probably supply more than
enough men and women to take their
places before many days have passed
The removal of another hundred prisoners
to Fort Smith or some other prison, it is
thought, would relieve the conditions at the
Jail to some extent and provide accom-
modations for those who are almost GER
tain to be sent there before the Christmas
holidays.
Efforts to Move Prisons.
Warden Mckee of teh Jail and Supt
Zinkhan of the workhouse are anxiously
awaiting the report of the commission
appointed some weeks ago to visit other
prisons, investigate local conditions and
suggest remedy. While the question of
removing the prisons from the eastern
section of the city does not give the two
superintendent much concern, the men,
bers of the East Washington Citizens AS
ISOLATION are spending busy days and en-
deavoring to get together facts which
will convince the authorities that the
building should be removed outside the
city limits. Members of the Northeast
Washington Citizens Association are also
taking an active interest in the question.
The question of removing the Jail. work.
house and hospitals from that section of
the city has been discussed AT meetings
Of the two associations. and at the meet
ing Of the association that is To be held
next Thursday night Samuel W. Curri-
den will present an interesting report. 4
Mr.. Curriden has taken an active interest
in prisons and correctional institutions in
this city for a number of years, and is so
that his report is expected to be of more
than ordinary interest.
Thomas W. Smith. president of the
East Washington Citizens Association;
NJ I. Weller, vice president. w. Mosby
Williams and S. w. Curriden have taken
the lead in the matter of trying to infiu-
ence the authorities to stop spending
money TO increase the facilities for caring
for prisoners in the two institutions. Be
sides the two prisons members Of the
association point to the Washington Asy-
lum Hospital smallpox hospital, detention
camp and crematory being upon the
grounds north of Congressional cemetery.
and all Of them are regarded as being
Objectionable.
A Bar to Improvements.
1t is the contention of the members of
the association that the extension of
Pennsylvania avenue, East Capitol and
other streets and the construction of the
boulevard, part of the plan to beautify
the city, will never be accomplished so
long as the alleged Objectionable institu-
tions are permitted to remain where they
are The removal of the several build
ings and the erection of a penitentiary
or reformatory. in which the prisoners
can perform labor, they think. will solve
the problem of giving to the people of
East Washington that to which they are
justly entitled
Thus far none of those who have taken
SO active an interest in Kidding the east
ern section of the buildings has suggested