Evening journal., 1911-08-05
MIR. SINCLAIR
ON WORKHOUSE
Writes to J. Frank Ball SuG-
geStinp Changes in Con-
dItiOnS at Prison
BETTER FOOD, AIR AND
SUNLIGHT FOR CONVICTS

Upton Sinclair, Socialist and author
and one OF the Arden residents who
served eighteen hours at the New
Castle County workhouse ON Tues
day night and Wednesday. sent let
ter last night to J. Frank Ball, sec
retary Of the trustees Of the Work
house. dealing with conditions there.
He protests against the silence sys-
TEN" that forbids prisoners TO speak
10 one another, makes a plea for bet
ter ventilation and open air and sun
light and better food for the pris-
oners. He gives It as his opinion that
large proportion OF the prisoners
arc suffering with a moro or less
mild form Of scurvy because Of the
food served them Mr. Sinolalr's
letter is as follows:
August 4, 1911.
Nr j. Frank BAH, Wilmington. Del
Dear Sir. As an oX-convict Of the
New Castle County Workhouse J am
writing TO you. as the secretary Of the
Board Of Trustees of that institution,
for the purpose Of calling your atten-
ton to certain conditions IN the place
which It seems TO me call for remedy.
In the first place. as a means of
correcting statements which have APP
peared I'm the public prints. and OF
making clear m position, / wish "a
say that / have no fault Of any sort
to find with those who are IN charge
OF the institution. They treated us
with uniform justice and with as
much consideration as we had any
right to expect The warden im-
pressed US as a gentleman of high
character. and we heard no tales OF
cruelty from the few prisoners will
, whom We had opportunity TO talk. w,
: found the prison clean. with the eX
ception of vermin In one cell. and on
toilet out of order. That the bedding
I'm our cells was not clean was quit
possibly due TO our arriving uneN
n pectedly
II The criticisms which ! have
Ie make are OF matters beyond the iurl
4 dicilon Of the warden and the kee
Is crs; in part they are subject 70 q
IS control OF the Board OF Trustees,
b part they are the fault Of the pc
J. sons who designed and built On
=. prison-and for these evils 10 ma
q possibly be necessary to go to Oh
Legislature of the state for rcmed
n Also ] wish TO say that from my col
n yersauons with the prisoners and th
r keepers. and also from subsequent II
! Quiry outside. / gather that the Ne
1 Castle County Workhouso Is by IA
o the best-constructod and manage
penal institution In the state, and tina
y II is far superior to other near-h
4 institutions, such as the jail In Chei
Il ter. and the MOyamensing Prison,
z Philadelphia. 10 is. however, no Just
! fcation of an evil TO prove that thef
\ are greater evils elsewhere i'm IN
/. world, and I believe that the matter
: TO which l proceed 10 call your al
tontion arc perfectly definite and cor
y. crete evils which can be proven
= matters of physical fact.
o. Tho iirsi criticism which ] have
d make deals with the fact that thei
n is no open court or yard wherein th
y long-term prisoncrs, who work u
I, doors, may secure fresh air ana o'
= ercise. and get a glimpse of the su
"a and sky. make this assertion upo
i the word of several Of the prisoner
y and one Of the keepers of whom
asked the question J was not give
e an opportunity TO go through the II
"A stitution and inspect ~ so ] al
> open 10 correction by you upon u
D point of fact ! was told by two
! the keepers Of whom I made inquil
X that only tho short-ierm prisoner
,r we're set TO work I'm the stone QUAR-
= and that the other men worked in q
clothing-factory under a contract-l
Dor system. Said one Of the keepe
to me. I'VE could not keep long-ter
men out in that quarry, It would
Continued on Second Page.