Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-12-19
PRISON UNFIT IN
THE MIDDLE ACES
Illinois Charities Commission
Issues Report on Inspection
Of County Jail Here.
vERMIN INFEsT BUILDING
Inadequate Ventilation and Light
Makes It Criminal to Hold
Humanity There.

Springfield, ILL.,, Dec. II, 1910
Editor Argus, Rock Island. Ill:
There has been a request from your
county for a copy of the report which
this commissions inspector of insti-
tutions has made to US. I attach it
to this letter.
The commission feels a deep in
terest in the condition Of the jail. as
1t is reported to us. by our inspector
and by other sources. We believe
that pending the erection of a new
Jail, which will no doubt come now
within a short time, conditions
might be improved in the present
building. It is our experience in the
state institutions which are much
larger and present more serious
problems, that vermin, such as is
described in these reports. is mex
cusable The ventilation of the Jail
might be remedied in part, at least,
by placing a ventilating fan in one
of the windows or in the roof. Elec-
trio lights might be substituted for
gas. Men and women should be held
such building.
Other Counties in Similar FIX.
We realize that many communi-
ties are pressed for money with
which to make public improvements.
Rock Island county is not an excep-
tion in this respect, but we believe
that without expenditure of much
money your Jail can be greatly i'm
proved.
Meanwhile the campaign for a
new Jail should be pushed until pub
lie sentiment is clearly awake to
its necessity, then it viii come. We
address this report to you because
1t is a public document and there
has been a demand for it which We
would not undertake to deny. The
inspection upon which this report is
based was made on Aug. 80, 1910.
by Miss Vella Martin. the official
representative of the state charities
commission.
Yours Respectfully,
STATE CHARITIES COMMISSION.
BY A. L. Bowen, Executive Secre-
tary.
Rad as Dungeon of Middle Ages.
The report of Miss Martin says:
THE Rock Island county Jail is as
bad as any dungeon of the middle
ages. The plans show what sort of
ventilation is possible. One row of
cells received no direct ventilation.
They are solid stone cells and the
1aiIer says that when he goes around
in the morning to open the doors
he must hold his breath. The walls
are smeared with spots of blood
where the prisoners have killed bed
bugs by the hundreds upon the
whitewashed walls The water
which is carried in for them to drink
is unfit for that purpose after stand
ing exposed to the atmosphere of
the Jail for a short time.
There is no classification of pris-
oners. The sheriff says that half of
them are never convicted and yet
they are treated in exactly the same
as are men who are serving
sentence or the Migrants and the
insane.
Rats, Mice and Reaches.
1.-The rats, mice. bed bugs,
reaches, etc, add to the discomfort
and, as though this were not enough.
must be numbered
among the evils. There are 40 men
crowded into - cells in the main
prison. In one corridor. Sx3O y feet
in size, eight straw ticks are placed
on the hard bare floors and 1 6 men
sleep upon them. They are more
than the men in the up
per tier of cells who suffocate when
the doors are closed. The air is
laden with the odor of disinfectant
A week ago a man came there sick.
He was crowded in with the other
men. Later he died of typhoid
fever I was left alone to talk with
the men and they begged me to get