The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-10-19
LETTER TO GRAND JURY.
HEALTH OFFICER CALLS AT.
TENTION TO RECENT RULES
FOR GOVERNMENT OF
COUNTY JAIL.
County Should Make Changes I'm
Present Jail or Build New Jail TO
Accommodate Prisoners I'm Sanitary

y,
County of Sumter. S. C.
Gentlemen: The rules and regula-
tions of the State Board of Health
Just received by the Sumter Depart
ment OF Health provides among 9TH
er things for the government of coun-
~ jails. the following:
That no person be admitted to any
prison until he has been bathed, his
clothing disinfected and washed, and
that the county authorities provide
the new prisoner with suitable cloth
ing to wear until his clothes are dry.
THAT every new prisoner in any
Jail must be examined by physician
within twenty-four hours after admis-
sion to any jail in order to determine
whether they are suffering with tuber-
culosis or any disease classed as COM
municable by the State Board Of
Health.
THAT il shall be unlawful to allow
any prisoner suffering with tubercu-
losis or any disease classed as COM
municable by the State Board of
Health. to remain in any room or
cell with other prisoners who are in
normal state of health.
THAT there shall be provided in
every Jail or other prison separate
wards for the isolation of prisoners
suffering with tuberculosis or other
communicable diseases so classed as
communicable by the State Board of
Health.
That it shall be unlawful to admit
any prisoner to any Jail unless the
new prisoner has been successfully
vaccinated within two years imfhe-
diately preceding his incarceration in
said jail. If such prisoner be i'm
mediately vaccinated upon admission
to Jail he may be allowed to remain,
provided however that he has not
been exposed to small pox within
three weeks.
That every Jail or other prison
shall be so constructed as to provide
not less than seven hundred cubic
feet Of space for each inmate Of said
Jail. and that the Jail must be so pro-
vided as tn ventilation that each
prisoner shall have not less. than three
thousand cubic feet Of fresh air every
hour"
You. Mr. Foreman and Gentlemen
of the Grand Jury, know that the
present county Jail does not, in size,
or other respects. comply with the
above requirements, and that the
county Jail is inadequate in size and
equipment to afford reasonable sani-
tary protection TO prisoners and to
protect the public health. The County
commissioners are anxious to either
remodel the present Jail and provide
hospital accommodations as provided
by law, or To erect another county jail
Of sufficient size. with modern sani-
mas SHOWN. by recent presentments
To the Honorable Circuit Court. it's
interest i'm the humane treatment of
helpless prisoners incarceratcd i'm the
same room with tuberculosis patients
ana has expressed the opinion that
the Jail is inadequate for the reasons
set forth in said presentments, |
have decided to furnish you with the
above information, in the hope that
the Grand Jury will renew it's recon-
mendations For more modern and
sanitary Jail, thus backing up the 90.
sire of the county authorities for a
bigger and more modern sanitary
Jail
also ask the grand jury to see that
the above rules and regulations are
complied with by the proper county
authorities in charge Of the prison
ers I'm sumter county Jail II the
grand jury will recon mend some rem
cdy for existing conditions. or that
another Jail be erected, to meet mad
ern sanitary conditions. this recon-
mcndation will strengthen the Countv
commissioners and the local Board of
Health i'm their efforts To secure I'M
mane and decent Jail accommodations
Tor all prisoners, and i'm the protection
Il the public health.
You can easily understand that the
public health is mcnaccd by unsani-
tary conditions i'm the jail. For in
stance, cannot disinfcct the jail as
long as there are any prisoners there
in.
Tut when a prisoner suffering with
tuberculosis is placed i'm this Jail he
I Il.