The Washington times., 1909-01-11
Commissions Report.

itN 81 A4Alt 44DNGCr January IL Iftss
Commissions Report.
The commissions report. which was
written by Judge STAFFORD, is a compre-
hensive document covering hfty-six
typewrItten pages. Referring to the de-
plOrable conditions in the jail and work.
house at the present time, the commits
sion statoss
'The Jail was originally intended TO
accommodate 800. IT was completed and
first occupied in 1876, and cost some
thing over half d million dollars
1851 32LG0D. In 1898 forty-eight cells were
added at q cost of $4,000. Nest OF the
cells are, in size, 6xSx9a fest. They
were made 10 be occupied by one per-
son only. They are being used for two
or three.
''The number &C ned IN the jaiI has
increased by 81 pc ,It during the past
five years. Owing to thu strattened con-
dition Of things # has not been posi-
BILE TO rightly separate the convicted
from those who are only accused, and
IN the WOman's ward no separation
whatever has been possible. It is quite
out Of the question to keep the first
offenders or even those who arc inaO-
cent away from those VINO have become
settled in their criminal habits.
All Day in Cells.
Prisoners are obliged to stay all the
time, day and night. I'm the cells except
for a half hour each cay when they
are marched through the inside corri-
dor There IS no jail yard gld they
never 90 outside Of the Jail walls. They
Hraa f7. 1F
except the very few who are employed
In preparing and serving food 10 their
fellow-iumates, or in a little routine
work.
THE evils OF such a state Of things
are too obvious to call for or even JUS
tify extended comment. That men and
women should be sent to these narrow
and crowded cells, the innocent with the
guilty, the first offender with the hard
ened criminal, I'm one promlscuOus as
se,3Ibly TO corrupt and bs corrupted bX
each other, the lazy 10 be humOred and
fostered Ia their laZiness, the indus
triOus TO be deprived Of every form Of
employment to be fed like beasts and
maintained at the public charge, not
only with no prospect OF Improvement
in their condition, but with the moral
certainty that they viii come out far
worse than they went in. is q fact that
has become a stencil in the nOstrils of
the whole community and ought 20 be
felt as shame and disgrace to the
whole nation whose representatives. are
responsible for its existence.
Better at Workhouse.
eat the worIhouse the physical con
dltJ5us are some what better than at
the jail Since 1890 Congress has appTO-
prlated for this institution $4,000, Of
which $4,000 was expended IA the con
struCtion Of two modern WINGS sepa-
rated from each other, but so related
that they may form parts Of one com
pIete building 81 10 should be decided 20
build permanent workhouse for the
District at that point. These wv wings
contain 934 cells and In them only one
prisoner is confined IN one cell.
I'm the old wings, however, the con
diuon is still crowded and two or more
prisoners are confined in the same cell
Taken as q whole the wOFkhouse Ike
the Jail is crowded far beyond Its nor
NAL capacity. There has been q large
increase I'm the number OF inmates The
average for the FIVE months Of the pres
emit fiscal year is higher by 10 than
for the corresponding period OF last
year
Gwen at the Worllh0uss no regular
system OF industry is carried on. Some
or the prisoners are sent about the city
TO be employed En- gangs upon the
streets and may be- seen almost any
day as they are driven 60 or from their
work I'm stripes and under guard
Plans Suggested.
After discussing the adaptation % the
present equipment OF the penal system
t5 meet the conditions, by alterations
and additions. the commission advises
Selling the present opportunity for Iut-
ting the penal and correctional system
of The District upon q proper and per
mauenI basis. This can he accomplish
ed. it states, by abandoning the present
jail for Jail purposes, turaing Il into a
house OF detention. and erecting q new
Wgrkaslse.
'uuruHaung as il may he to confess
1T. tho confession must be- made that
society is still iu q state OF siege Ths
property classes. and tIey comprise The
vast majority o. our population live
Ig state OF siege II wa doubt IL We
have only TO notice the bars and bolts
pu every hand the Waterman, the
policeman everywhere
"Afur 1000 years OF social order Of
one sort or another. after ZOO years
OF Christianity, DC IS still tre fact that
/ those who have must maintain lGC.T
possession BT force or the threat OF
force The mailed hand of government
is over every house and shop and bHuk
vault U the civilized world, and dip
HaIeutir 70 must He SO for centuries TO
come The criminal problem may be
/ looked upon as practically permanent,
and .e.IaIUI. we nave none more EUIH