The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-09
PRESENT JAIL
SYSTEM ARCHAIC
STATE BOARD Of CHARITIES WILL
URGE WORK FOR EVERY
PRISONER.
OUT
COMBINING OF YOUTHFUL OFFEND
ERS WITH HARDENED GRIM
INALs SHOULD NOT BE PER-
MITTED, SAYS BOARD.

no aHnudl report Oh inc State
Board of Charities and Corrections.
now in course of preparation, will
probably go into the hands OF the
printer during the next few days. 1t
Will contain some of the most inter
esting figures yet complied in con-
i.ection with the criminal and depend
ent population of the State. From
information given out by the State
Board, ii Is estimated that nearly two
thousand people are, ON an average,
confined in the jails of the Com
monwealth in idleness. The figures
compiled last year showed that there
were 1885 persons held in Jail in idle
ness. while there were quite num-
Der employed about the jails in clean
ing and other such work The board
will point out the necessity for put
ting this large prison population TO
work. x
Biames the System
The board has no word of blame
for the officials OF the State in the
conduct of the Ja!ls and prison. The
mem hers believe that the officials. as
a rule. are doing the very best they
can under the system now in opera
ton. The board will attack the sys-
tenn. however. and viii urge its
amendment esecially with a view to
employing the prisoners in some oc-
cupation that Will rebound TO the adj
vancement of the prisoners welfare
and the improving Of the highways
of the State and the reciaiming OF the
waste lands Of the Com monwealth.
The report will say, in part, relative
TO the handling of the criminal pop
ulation:
The insane are innocent sick peo-
pie, whom to place In jail is a shame.
The majority of the occasional Of
tenders and some of the confirm ed
criminals can be reformed In the
light Of the fact that our prison pop
ulation is increasing. the matter o:
reformation of the criminal becomes
exceedingly important.
In order to secure reformation
four things are necessary. Encour-
| agement with religious instruction,
| the opportunity 10 live decent life
physically. and healthy employment
| The possibility and the opportunity
/ 10 reform should he kept constantly
| before the inmates OF our 5ails and
/ the church. the social organiza.i Ions
/ and the civil authorities should S.a nd
always ready TO help"
t Every prisoner should he given a
: bath. cieansed of vermin and given G
/ suit Of clean clothes before being
/ placed in detention cell. He should
+ then be forced To keep himself clean
+ TO see that his cell and furniture airs
+ in sanitary condition, and should be
/ gwen sufficient nourishing food
Prisoners confined In jails shout,
always be given opportunity to work
! We again call attention to the los
/ 10 the Commonwealth through tn
/ ,dleness or a large number OF the iai
! population"
( The board estimates the total jai
I population at nearly 2,000 and says
i These were held at an average cos
! for their keep of six hundred dollar
| per day. or two hundred and nine
+ teen thousand dollars per year. TIL
/ baltimore city Jail in 1908 made clea
+ OF all expenses by the work of it
j 500 prisoners twenty-four thousan,
! aeiiafs.--7tt tlss-ssts4- -fate-esif- Id!
prisoners would earn over and abov
the cost of board very nearly on
! hundred thousand dollars The los
/ TO the State per annum by allowing
! these people to live In idleness is
/ therefore. not less than $4,000.
Z our criminal expenses for tn
year ending September 80. 1910. wer,
! 1857, si5.12. Say that these 1900 PEG.
! pie at work IN redeeming our vast
| lands or improving our highway
| would be worth only twenty-five cent
per day per capita. or sls2.5oo pei
/ year: add this to the actual cost OF
| their keep and We have $t01. 500
| s12.654.ss more than the criminal ex
| penses for 1910.
Evils OF System.
! But the evil resulting from tn
| association of innocent people await
/ ing trial. OF drunkards and OF the per
! Of Ava nFa nj
I the confirmed criminal causes los
I to the cmmunity that cannot be esti
/ mated in dollars and cents. The per
son who, though innocent. Is charged
| with crime and Is awaiting trial. o
| the young man who has thoughtlessl,
| fallen among evil companions for
day. and woh. under their guidance
has committed his first offense.
| locked up in the same cell with PEG
| Pile who are utterly depraved. II
| feels himself disgraced. loses his self
| respect learns all that the worst O
his companions know and goes out o
Jail confirmed criminal. This Il
doubtless. happening in hundreds o
! instances every year. and 1t constitute
a social loss that is appalling.
should Be Amended.
"Our jail system. with its enforced
| idleness. its compulsory evil compan
ionship and schooling in crime !
archaic, an unmitigated and exceed
ingly expensive evil that should be a
| speedily as possible abolished 81
Evelyn Rnggles- Briae. chairman OF
! the English prison commission. voic
| ing the sentiments of the foreig'
delegates to the Worlds Prison Con
| gress, held In Washington, ID. C., las
year, said: These institutions are on
hundred years behind prisons of cor
responding grade in Europe" Com
plimenting the higher penal instatu
| tions Of America and our devoted mel
| and women working to solve the prop
| lens OF criminology. he said: Al
their good work Is offset by the re
| suits Of your county jails. Their
petty offenders are locked up VIII
| hardened criminals Young ana oil
are herded together. Men and mer
bows awaiting trial and, in many in
/ stances. innocent OF any onenses, ar
! thrown in with those OF vicious ten
! denotes, taught TO be criminals an
/ started on the road to degenerAcy