Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1910-10-06
No. 9. ATLANTA PRISON.
BY Capt. ?. d. HELMS. Deputy
United States Marshal.

-
officer in chief, who is stationed IN
a raised platform in the far corner :,
OF the room. The regulation and ;
direction OF that section is entirely :
in his charge. and every move IS
made OF signal. in accordance with
the arbitrary system IN vogue.
Being. as IL were, a prison within
a prison and under constant watch.
the cell house combines much COM
tort for the prisoner himself with
absolute security and minimum pos
s,bliurS for escape. The mechsni-
cal arrangement OF the cells IN al
phabeucsl rotation, while the color
line is recognised by the officials IN
compliance with the statute law OF
the State OF Georgia.
Exit and entrance to the cells IS
/ made n squads and at no tune save
Saturday afternoon are individual
prisoners permitted 10 loiter about
TIE cell house. On splitting OF
srom their squads. they are required
10 Immediately 90 20 their cells.
Escn day a certain 1ine IS reserved
| Tor recreation for those prisoners
rot employed with outside la56s.
| Within each section OF the cell houSe
there IS almost continual quiet. bTOS-
n Internationally by the guard pas
ing back and forth n the gun CT
| ridor. However as mentioned q
previous letters no guard on dup
among the prisoners is armed. -
the eusros IN the cell house carry q
light suck. .
Between these sections OF ths
cell house is built j steel bar par
uuon. running twenty feet apart
> The space enclosed within these bar
IS divided into TWO gsngways. N
lower being the passsgeway oetvee
the executive building and the rea
Aug OF the main building. IN
second gangway IS about tlttee
4 set fron the floor and IS completed
closed L., the entrance too BEN
closed from the executive builcin
~ z heavy steel door. Ihis secor
ysreway IS known as the gun co
ridor. from the fact that the On
armed guard in the entire cell hou
q IS stationed mere both cay and nigh
Armed with a repeating ritle
PAGES I'D and down this coruoc
while OF duty, and keeps close wat
on both sections OF the prison c
- house. He is well able 70 ooser
close surveillance. for bis position
elevated snc he would have soso.I
command OF any si'usuon not 70
\ COPIED with By the guards ~ eth
N section. II ADDITION 10 tins arm
Nj guard. there is stationed on ca
\ oalcony ar unarmed guar VINO
I DUTY Il IS 10 watch the prisoners a.
cells on his particular beat.
Having completed the descuPu
Of the prison itself BY oonc4uci
with the cell Rouse, ! believe
would be interesting as well as
n scructive 70 consider some OF
IA statistics o. a penal Institution.
During the year 1909 the nauo
b government Appropriated ov
Sl45. 600 OF which Sl3o.OOO vas
or pended. The amount expended
tod was sos go. The aver
number Of prisoners fed calyis o
making the average yearly cost
S. nan about $500 and the aver
daly cost per man about G
The value OF the clothing Purcna
amounted TO Sl5.O92. making
average yearly cost per man SI1
aud the average daily cost : &C
The total amount expended
maintsinance was Sl3o. 800. MAJ
the average cost OF maiutain'
yearly per man S207-36 and
average daily cost So cents.
prisoners on beiag admitted 70
'-" PRISON had $50 IN their po.
d OF sion and spent more than one
2lete while incarcersted. Most Of
prisoners came directly from
Distncr Courts Of the United s
. wh-re they were indicted.
- convicted and sentenced. b
s1SEs the greater majority OF the inr
WI registered on the prisoc rolls
discharged on the expiration
their sentences. However q
- the fiscal year OF 1909. two
O. u osrdoned. 6 commuteo. Z died
10 were sent 70 the Insane As
with no escapes. The mont
- ----t,c 49, rrgh