The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-09-21

scAa6onl community, Wnen fully con.
versant with conditions. has a right to
enter protest and must be heard.
CONDITION AT COUNTY JAIL.
AT the>county Jail the conditions are
even worse. Tho unsanitary condi-
lions there have already been alluded
to, but while. at the Home of the
Friendless. the criminal number but
one, two or three and often none. at
! the jail are always some twenty or
more criminals including almost every
type from the common drunken brawl-
er to the thief and murderer. These
are the companions of the unfortunate
insane. They must eat the same
coarse food. sleep In the same cell,
work on the same stone pile and other
wise get the same attention as the
common bum" or murderer-all this,
not because they are guilty of crime,
but because they are insane. They
are submitted to the taunts and jibes
| of the prisoners. The prisoners will
| order them to do ridiculous things in
order to furnish amusement. This is
an inconceivable place for our fathers,
brothers or sons who have been so
| unfortunate as to become insane.
Even the criminal has a humanitar.
ian right to protest against being in
| generated with the insane The law
does not contemplate that any one
committed for safe keeping should be
the companion of the insane, to be
annoyed, perhaps, by shrieks and 9TH
er noises which crate on the nerves
and prevent rest aud sleep. One may
be detained and vet be innocent Of
any crime, and the temporary confine-
ment is sufficient to endure without
being placed with the insane.
There are at present three insane
In the county jail, two Of whom are
mere boys who have been there some
three or four months, and a third-a
man of 42-who nas been there for
about three years. These do get out
OF doors with prisoners and get fresh
air. The sheriff has had as many az
seven in Jail at one time. Some are
admitted into the hospital, some have
returned to sanity after a long con-
finement. and others have fingered in
Jail until death relieved them. With
In Jail, one Of which had been there
for about two years and the other for
few days. Others have died in Jail
in previous years of which the Jury
has no record. These insane men,
like the women. must stay here until
admitted to the hospital or are taken
care Of privately by friends or are re-
lieved by death which often comes on
ly after years of suffering.
AS to the physical and mental eff
feet on the insane on account Of the
association with criminals in the Jail,
we have this statement from DR.. SAM
uel E. Smith:
IAN insane man-that is, a sick
man-ought not to he confined in the
presence of criminals. You have two
kinds of care necessary that are very
hard to dove-tail; different principles
apply. Because a man is sick and
helpless, he should not be made the
associate of the criminal class; he
can't have. in the very nature of
things, the kind of care that he ought
to have. There is not the proper OPP
portunity afforded for him to get out
III lAC OpCA Which, 40 tSEy cSoCU-
tial, and during his more lucid inter-
walls and during his tractable periods
he ought to be given some little en-
ployment, which cannot possibly be
given about jail, and there is stig-
ma attaching to that sort of commit
ment which is unpleasant to the pa
tent when he realizes his condition.
1t has an injurious effect, physically
and mentally. They are brought in
contact with these prisoners who
often annoy them and do great many
things that they ought not do. They
should not be KEEP, constantly in the
same room: it leads to bad habits and
Incidence and, I am sure, both to men,
tai and physical deterioration. They
should have a great deal of outdoor
exercise, and l am sure that general
health and general mental comfort are
helped by it,
DR.. T. Henry Devils, a member of
the State Board of Health, and DR..
J. f. King. county health officer, sub
stantiated the statements of DR.. Smith.
In view Of all these facts. the grand
jury, in the name of humanity, recon-