The San Francisco call., 1910-03-27
JAILS IN GREECE
DISMAL HOLES
Prisoners Seem Cheerful in
Penal Institutions in
Athens

A Chicago Tribune correspondent
from Athens, Greece, writes: I was
strolling in the neighborhood of the
Stoja Hadriana when a two story
building guarded by sentinels attracted
my attention. Upon inquiry I found it
to be the municipal jail, and an accom-
modating officer politelyp offered to
gain for me admission to it,
Through low, vaulted gateway 1
was conducted into a small court
crowded with prisoners, among whom
several soldiers of the guard we're
moving. Through the iron grated win
dows on the ground floor I could look
into semidark cells which contained no
furniture whatever, and in which the
numerous prisoners were occupied
partly with dice or card playing and
partly with making Of carved and
braided knickknacks, which are Of
Tered to visitors for purchase. From
the galleries of the upper story 1 was
greeted with hilarious exclamations by
other prisoners, who seemed to be glad
to see visitor.
PRISONERS OF ALL KINDS
The prisoners apparently belonged to
ali CLASSES OF SOClelys the pSdSdIil
in his picturesque national costume to
the well dressed merchant, and their
features betrayed the most varied
grades of intelligence. I was told that
prisoners already sentenced and such
as had not yet been interrogated by a
judge were mingled here, and that fire.
quently weeks passed before the latter
received first hearing.
The food furnished the prisoners is
n hea fn
much to, starve on. If one of these
poor fellows should happen not to have
any relatives or friends to supply him
with food, he must depend for it on
the compassion of his luckier compan-
ions in misfortune or suffer hunger.
Regarding sleeping accommodations
the conditions are even. worse. Twenty
to 80 prisoners are crowded into one
cell which contains neither table nor
chairs, and where the damp filthy floor
offers the only place for rest and sleep.
There is no distinction made as to age
or grade of crime, and old men and
boys, murderers and simple drunkards,
share the same cell, sleeping side by
side and eating out of the same dish.
1t is remarkable, however, that no
sad faces are to be seen among these
prisoners. On the contrary, many of
them look joyous, and some seem even
to be supremely happy. Should they
ever conspire to effect an escape it
would be a small matter for them, as
the prisoners have free communication
with each other, and their guards. as
far as one can observe, are of small
number and decidedly negligent in the
performance of their duties. There are
no special obstacles put in the way of
friends and relatives who wish to visit
prisoners, and I myself observed in
mates of ground floor cells, the win
nf W
entering into conversations with
passersby and receiving food through
the iron gratings.
Having become interested in Greek
penal methods, I paid a visit to the
state penitentiary, situated a short dis
tance from the city, the director of
which was kind enough to conduct me
personally through the institution.
The penitentiary buildings consist of
an old monasterylike structure, on the
surrounding walls of which sentinels
are placed at intervals in such a way
that the outer vicinity as we'll as the
courtyards of the building may be
watched at the same time. This is the
sole penal institution of the country
and it contains only long term and life
prisoners, but they seem to enjoy much
the same sort of treatment which I had
observed in the municipal Jail.
The prisoners move about freely in
the semidark, vaulted corridors and
pay each other neighborly visits in
their cells Most of the doors were
open. and a glance into the rooms
showed the inmates either slumbering
on their cots, talking or busying them
selves with some light work. which
seemed more pastime than earnest oc-
cupation. Several individuals were loi-
tering about in the courtyards, while
others. like Neapolitan lazzaroni, were
lazily squatting in the sunshine. Only
a few cells were locked.
At my request I was admitted into
several of the latter which contained
dangerous life term criminals. Upon
our entrance the inmates, as a rule,
arose with a pleasant greeting and
willingly replied to such questions as ]
put to them through the director. The
surprising willingness of the prisoners
did not, however, spring from unselfish
motives. AS I withdrew from each cell
they brought forth a number of small
trifles of their own manufacture which
they offered me at prices that were by
no means modest.
But by far the most interesting in
mate of the penitentiary was a little
boy of about 5 years, an orphan, whose
father, long term criminal, had been
allowed to keep the little fellow with
him until further disposition. ven
tured 10 express an opinion as TO the
baleful influences which this life in the
penal institution must have on the
growing boy, but the director informed
me that so far the contrary was the
case and that the little fellow was
seemingly exercising a beneficial inf1u-
ence on the prisoners. whose general
pet he was and who overwhelmed him
with toys and saved for him the
choicest morsels of the prison fare.
At 81 Renni planned and built the
London bridge: Tescot, the Louvre;
Christopher Wren was commissioned