The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-07-28

Give Some Sunshine.
The most important need of the
jail AFTER the securing the occupation
for the prisoners, perhaps IL would
be truer TO say an equally important
need, Is the securing OF a jailyard.
There is no possible way of giving
to a prisoner in our city Jail one
hour in the fresh air, and some of
them must serve sentence of twelve
months. To live for twelve months
without once getting out of doors. The
bare statement is enough to carry
with II severest OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
abandon the newly-erected tail than
remain without a yard.
A much-needed measure, and one
entirely practicable at small expense.
is the requirement that every prison
er snail, on conviction, be made TO
take bath, don prison garb and have
his own garments disinfected.
Separate Prisoners.
Inere Is no provision for isolating
tuberculosis prisoners. The city Jail
should not be made a nursery for ply
slcal disease and precautions should
DE insisted upon which will protect a
healthy prisoner from the infection at
present highly probable because of
the herding together of all classes of
persons whose physical condition has
not yet reduced them to the need for
hospital care, and where the inability
10 get out of doors multiplies many
times the chances OF infection.
There should be some system by
winch persons awaiting trial should
De Kept quite apart from those serV-
ing sentence, not to mention those
retained as witnesses. This precau-
ton can hardly be too strongly urged :
there is ample space in the Jail to
make this practicable at once.
There were no white women in the
JAN when we visited il, but quite a
large number of colored women. We
would advise that the Jail formerly
used in Manchester be made a Jail es-
pecially for women, and the present
Jail left exclusively for men. This
would greatly facilitate several Of the
suggested reforms, and the policy of
removing the female prisoners as far
as possible from the male ones is so
obviously desirable as TO need no fur
Their comment.
Should Inspect Daily.
a doctor for the Jail has been pro-
Vided by the State. We learn that he
comes when sent for, and sometimes
without waiting for a call. We are OF
opinion that a daily visit to the Jail
should be required of the Jail physi-
clan.
Conditions in such an institution as
city Jail change often from hour TO
hour; certainly there is good reason
TO expect important changes in TWEEN
ty-four hours. Opportunities to pro-
tect prisoners from contagious dis
eases, TO relieve pain, and TO provide
for emergencies must arise many
times when the experienced eye OF
the layman fails to detect them. 1t
is, in our opinion. highly important
that the jail physician should give his
personal inspection TO the Jail at least
once a day.
The need of a modern kitchen and
laundry is conspicuous. If this were
SlnnllaN NJ fCsv 70 ffv,..
plant would be an inconsiderable ex-
pense and a most valuable addition.
All OF these improvements would fol-
low naturally if there were a yard at
tached TO the Jail. and none are prac-
tcoble with the present lack Of ground
space.
We have been content TO speak Of
the needs Of the Jail in general terms.
AS TO how these reforms can be car
ried out, We have not felt called upon
TO report; partly, because the details
must always await the establishment
of the principles on which they rest
and partly because we would not pre-
sumo 10 lead the way with so compe-
tent guide as the very able City Ser
geant already in command.
Our conclusions have been reached
largely because of his readiness TO
lend us his aid in our Investigations.
We would gladly assist him in secur-
feel sure OF his sympathy with our
point of view, and we would assure
him of our readiness TO cooperate
with him in accomplishing these, the
most essential features required to
make our city Jail a model for the
State.
Reforms at AlmshOuses.
The Richmond almshouse is per-
haps more generously provided for by
the city than any of its institutions.
and this is largely due to the fact thar
with the almshouse is associated the
ciy Hospital The place is so clean as
to deserve TO be called spotless. The
officials in charge are not only COM
petent, but kindly. and there is much
10 commend.
The invariable rule of dormitories is
in some instances unfortunate; a self
respecting old woman ought not 10
find il impossible TO have a private
corner all her own, even if she is so
triendlcss as to have no home but the
almshouse. If a few tiny cubicles
could be constructed at least in some
of the dOrmitories il would certainly
tend to brighten existence for a most
unfortunate and not necessarily un-
worthy class.
The superintendent informed rs
that the place would be overrun with
tramps and drunkards if it were not
for a provision requiring that the in
mates shall only go ito town" once p
week. Even with this provision there
are about twenty men and women
who work regularly without any pay
and do the cleaning and other duties
about the place rather than so to
work for pay in some regular occupa-
ton. We saw one large able bodied
man washing up the floor, who was
content TO be an inmate of the aims
house, though there is work TO be had
with living wage and independence
If he would take il. This, and other
considerations, have brought us TO the
conclusion that there is need for some
radical reform in the treatment of our
city poor. The need TO set the idle
and the lazy to work is a very i'm