The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-02-16
REPORT TO AUDITOR

Indianapolis, Ind. Jan. 49, 1911.
Honorable Board of County Commits
sioners, Lake County, Crown Point,
Indiana.
Gentlemen: On January Is, 1911, I
visited the jail and poor asylum in
Lake County and herewith make report
as required by law.
The new jail is we'll planned we'll
built and well administered. 1t will
be your pride and also that of the
sheriff to take good care of 1t and keep
it clean and sanitary. A great help in
this will be for you to ask the judge
to adopt some rules, as the law pro-
vides for him to do We are sending
you a copy of the Jail supervision law
and have marked that part relating to
the adoption of rules These rules are
entered upon the court record and vio-.
lation of them. such as defacing the
building, destroying the equipment or
furniture, would render those guilty
liable to punishment for contempt of
court.
The county poor asylum was built
, In 1884. 1t was ample for the needs of
the county then. but now 1t is wholly
inadequate. It was not we'll planned
nor well built and is now in bad physi-
cal condition. The superintendent and
! his wife have done the best they could
in caring for both the inmates and the
property. They are entitled to credit
| for what they have done with the in
adequate facilities and your board for
the helpful cooperation you have Civ
en- them. But conditions there are un-
speakably bad. Notwithstanding all that
: has been done. This is due to the over
crowded condition, inadequate accom-
modations and deficient facilities for
1 the proper care of the unfortunates
gathered there. There were present at
the time of this visit 81 inmates. The
capacity of the asylum is probably half
that. In the mems dormitory, with a
normal capacity of about Is. twenty
eight men sleep. The small windows
are set high, there is no proper venti-
lation. What terrible place it must
be towards morning! The womans
! dormitory is divided by partition and
half of it is given to the men. That
occupied by the women is overcrowded
and the part assigned to the men has
one-half more persons sleeping In 1t
than should be. That is not all. Tenn
porary quarters have been fitted up
over the pig pens and there thirteen
men sleep and in the attic part of the
custodial building nine men have their
quarters. The custodial building has
custodial cases, all troublesome persons.
requiring special care. One of these
is an insane man who usually refuses
to wear clothing. One of these eight
was a woman-an unfortunate, partial
ly demented person whose chief de-
sire appears to be to elope from the
ASYLUM There she is among these
men, without proper privacy or care
Taken altogether, the conditions are a
disgrace to your county. Your people
would not approve of them and would
demand that proper provision be made
for the unfortunates for which you
must care. Your county is growing at
such a rapid rate that you must bear
in mind the future, too. You should
build new poor asylum. There is lit
tie about the old building that is worth
saving. You cannot economically en-
large or remodel it. We do not advo-
cate an expensive. ornamental or an
elaborate structure A poor asylum
built on the section or block plan, so
it can be readily added to. as the coun-
ty continues to grow--a plain SUD-
stantial, sanitary institution that VIII
; provide facilities for the proper care
; of those you must care for, would be
our recommendation.
: In writing this report it is not in
!, spirit of criticism, but with a desire to
help you in the discharge of your du-
ties In addition, it may be added that
we shall be very glad to render any
other assistance to you or to the offi-
Gals of your county. as we can. at any
time.
Very truly yours.
A. w. BUTLER,
j.. "a nv