The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1910-11-26
COUNTY JAIL SYSTEM

Frederick, Md, Nov. Ioth-The at
ttude OF the pubic toward the county
Jail system i'll the United States WAS
characterized as one OF ignorance, lii
difference, inhumanity, custom, law,
greed and graft by DR.. Frederick II.
Wines, statsticlan of the Illinois Board
of Administration OF State lnstitu-
tions, before the Maryland Conference
of Charities and Correction here his
morning.
mo Vault can be found with any one
jail" said Mr. Wines, that may not
be found with scores of hundreds OF
others. There are jails that are too
large, and jails that are too small, in
secure jails, unsanitary jails, jails with
out light, jails without heat, jails with
out ventilation, filthy jails, jals that
are not properly governed, palatial
jails, and Jails that are not lit Tor oc-
cupation, stables, or pigsties. There
is not charge that can be brought
against the county jail system which
has not been brought, nor one trat
cannot be sustained. Questions OF
public policy are ultnn.;ely decided by
pubic opinion and sentiment. In pub
lie at large takes but little interest in
the prison question:; 1t recognizes no
revcrsionary rights upon the part OF
the prisoner. 1t regards his late, be
it what it may, as the work Oi his
own hands, and it does not very much
care what it may chance to be.
1t is not difficult where the condi
tons i'll a particular county Jail are
Il H., ia Fl ,,,I n
to arouse local sentiment in favor OF
some measure al government, but
this does not really amount to much.
In all the essentials Oh good p,.sOn
organization and Management, the new
jail is no better than the old one, and
the money spent upon 1t is simply an
addition to the immense I'M -Stncnt
in a wretched and indciensible system.
a fine building does not MAKE a good
prison. Most architects are by ma
ture and by instinct copylstS From
generation to generation they repeat
the blunders OF their predecessors.
We have used stereotyped form OF
construction in American prisons. hat
is one cause of the prevalence here 10
such an allrmlns extent OF tubcrcr-
losis. The Atmosphere pf our aver
age Jail Isl ioul beg und the power OF
language 10 describe. Prisons OF tins
sortsort are propagating houses OF
criminology, ccsspools o, moral con-
tagion, more to be dreaded than any
disturbing center OF tuberculosis; they
are breeders for the penitentiary, they
are factories OF crime; Teeeducauon
of crime is furnished to the inmates
at the expense OF the tax payers. Each
of them is a pubic nuisance, regularly
endorsed and commended once ur
twice in each year by the grand jury
OF the county.
Our jail system is tradition. Our
Eng ISL orbears brought it with them
across the sea some threcccnturlcs
ago, together with the shire and the
asSizc. There were excellent reasons
for its retention and extension so long
as the country was young and SparSciy
settled At this late date it is an ana
chronism. Neither necessity nor pre-
cedcnt juStilies its continued eXistchcc
The pubic welfare demands its aboil-
ton True, the sheriff and his Ja.'
ers constitute q very important cog n
the political part! machine.
The abuses oi which have hinlcj
could not long survive II col,i-tCd Of
tenders, maju and MINOR unsdcmc
mants As well a. .c'on, nrrc in ;lc
custody OF the LATE instead q. county
officials The iuu1l result would b b
the d,minutiOn III tlc nmaGcr ol The
prisons There arc many times too
many local prisons. This needless
multiplication Of tails entails heavy