The evening world., 1911-11-20
INSANE HERDED \
WITH THE SANE \
: CROWDED TOMS
Evil Conditions Increasedby
Lack of Opportunity for O.
servation, Says Expert.
QUICK REFORM NEEDD.
QUICK Reform NEEDD.
New Woman's Prison and Py.
chopathic Hospital Urged y
City Prison Association.

Ten out OF each 100 prisoner semitic
The Tombs are mentally deHdent, lc-
cordins to DR.. George n. Parer of 10.
II West fifty-second street. ,sychiatc
examiner OF the Tombs 70 the CITY
Prison Association. who Aclares lis
figures are most conservatve. DESPITE
this condition which. ccording to
o. r. Lewis, secretary Of ne Prison A.
ISOLATION. is steadily grodng worse, 10
effort has been made. owtg to the Over
crowding of the prison. ' s~egregate the
Irresponsible n f~ccb'afrinded inmates
from the others. The sitlde Of a pris-
oncr last week was indtctly due to thu
lack OF proper observstyn because Of
the prison congestion.H
Tho female prison Is eyn worse IN the
matter Of crowding tharrhe rest OF the
jail. Women are herdi there indis-
cam1nately. In the datime they &C.
cupy one large room. wife women and
black. educated and iaorant, refined
and coarse. those who bvs never faced
~ trial. and so must b~dpresunied 10 be
innocent. and ex-convle awaiting trial
for new offcnses are feed to associate
together. according toDr. Parker.
The startling statemnt is made. also.
that seventy-five of he boys In the
Tombs are perverts. who for lack Of
space have to be plrec In cells with
other boys.
Secretary Lewis Il the City Prison As
sociation. an enbwed rociety which
keeps track Of proled rlsoners, said
to-day that the aly efretual way In
which to eradicate these ellis that exist
Ia the Tombs Is u erect aother prison
and to have a psyhopathi' hospital at
tached L tt institution. such a hos
psal Is a necessity. says Mr. Lewis. and
Or. Parker warmly supportahim. COM
missioner of Cornctions 'atrick ".
Whitney and DR.. Mcguire. Taibs phys,-
clan. are In favor q such n Ian.
ONE TENTH OF PRIsoN,Rs ARE
MENTALLY DEFECTIVE.
The crowded condition of the
Tcnbs." said Mr.. Lewis to-day has an
evil influence on all OF the flsoners.
There are only 80 cells for merand out
%. these probably fifteen are cher out
of order or being used as stoirooms.
The men are pg. two and thru in a
oil. The wonen's cells are aovded
he same wav.
"The Reforma.o-y on Hats Island
10 sven worse than the Tombs. aio the
workhoIso on B!ackwel's bland AS
many as thlgty-oHe prisoners their are
ciowdcd la,o n cell. Then inmates
get less .hll halt OF LIE cutc feet of
air tt.e law demands In the cae OF !sdg-
Ing houses.
What Is needed most in th,Tombs Is
a psychopa:hic ward. At lest 10 pe-
cent. Of the prisoners reccivedhere ae
mentally defective.
"Comm.ss.oner whitney Is ding all in
his powe. to alleviate conditas. The
trouble Is that the department as stood
stiil for Inc past ten years, md the
prisons are away bchiad ever other
mun!cipa! improvement.
'Ju-t think. over 1850 mental defoc-
tive prisoners pass through thtTombu
every year. We have no m,ns by
which 10 watch them or maks,sports
on their condition. II 10 not overxnowu
that they ars mentally weak. hey 20
10 G tra, and 10 jail absolute. ire
sponsiblo.
The constant intermingling 0 these
men and women with other inmss has
naturally a bad Influence on boz.
"of1clal figures o: the retormary in
Elmira show that there IS per CT. o!
tho inmates arc feeble minded. Mos:
young boys that steal are porvertsrhe,
ought to be watched. In tho Tom. OF
account of the congestion, there's nc
way 20 separate thsm or to havehem
under proper observation. This 0 q
grave problem. and vital to 'ery
citizen.
CRIMINALS YOUNG AND His
ADDS TO THE EVIL.