The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-24
CONDITION OF ALABAMA JAILS
STILL DEPLORABLE, SAYS OATES

i .--.....................
scribed deplorable conditions. the leg
islature of 1907 deemed fit to adopt
some means of remedying them and
created an office known as the in
spector of jails almshouses, etc. thus
placing the jails under state super
vision and control, but not under state
ownership After four years of hard
work on the part of the department
above named, it was found that the law
was inefficient on account of a lack OF
authority or power given the inspector
and in consequence of which the Leg
islature of 1911 changed the name OF
the department to that of state prison
| Inspector and modified the law making
/ 1t more explicit and extending the au-
| thority of the inspector to enforce SAN
! itation. ventilation and hygiene and
| while it is by no means complete nor
a perfectly effective instrument for the
| purpose designed 1t is, under the pow
! ers given, and the duties imposed upon
the inspector, tremendous advance
i over the former system.
/ Since its enactment, slightly more
| than a year and a half ago, the pris-
oners in the Alabama jails have re-
ceived at least the consideration that
/ Is due a human being. In that time 80
| jaiis have been built and remodeled
along scientific lines and in most Of the
| jails of the state an excellent sanitary
| system has been insisted upon and at
tanned. Light and air are freely adj
| mitted; conditions which made for in
fection have been removed, and food
is served in many of the jails which
may be eaten without the spur of ex-
treme hunger.
There are yet a number of jails to
be rebuilt or remodeled, and they will
! receive attention in due course of time.
Law Governing Prisoners
This law makes it the duty of the
state prison inspector to inspect at
! least twice a year each jail, almshouse
and city prison in towns of 10000 or
more populat ion and to aid in secur-
ing the Just, humane and economic
management of all such institutions;
to require the erection of sanitary
buildings for the accommodation of the
| inmates of such institutions, and to
| Investigate the management of all such
institutions and the conduct and eff
| flciency of the officers or persons
| charged with their management; to re-
| quire that the buildings and the
grounds of said institutions be kept
in the best sanitary condition and to
make a detailed report to the gov
| ernor after each visit of the number
of inmates in each such jail, prison and
| almshouse, their condition to health,
the condition in which the buildings
are kept, the arrangement for the SAN
| itation of the buildings and grounds,
| the cost of the management of such
institutions and of keeping the inmates
! and whether the money appropriated
for such purposes is properly eXpend-
| ed therefor and he shall at the same
time give a copy of his report to the
court of county commissioners, board
of revenue, city council or other board
1 L. Al
prison or almshouse dealt with In such
report together with such recon-
mendations for the betterment of the
conditions thereof as he may deem
necessary.
IS This law also confers upon the state
prison inspector the authority to Tor
mulate such rules and regulations as
| he may deem necessary with reference
to hygiene, sanitation, cleanliness and
healthfulness in these institutions. 1t
also confers upon him the power to
| have all jails put in a proper sanitary
condition, and to make such repairs,
alterations and additions as he may
| deem necessary, and, IL In his opinion,
the situation requires it, to condemn
the jail and order the erection of a
new one. From his orders an appeal
lies only to the governor. As to the
lpresent executive, / may say that only
a manifest error on the part OF the IN
spector in making the order OF con-
demnation would entitle any such ap-
peal to consideration at his hands. Po-
litical, nor other influence, would not
in the slightest degree affect his ac-
ton where the welfare of the helpless
and unfortunate are involved. So have
fortunately been unhampered by any
interference with the efficient admin
lstration of the law.
Most Arbitrary Power
! An effective weapon placed by the
law in the hands of the inspector Is his
power to order the removal of any or
| all prisoners from any jail in which
| they are improperly cared for, or
which is unsafe. to the Jail of another
county and as "A large part of the
! eompensation of Alabama's sherlffs
comes from the feeding of prisoners as
| previously outlined. it is needless to
say that it has seldom been necessary
to use it to secure proper food or ft
conditions.
| In laws dealing with this subject 1t
is certainly at this period of the move
ment absolutely essential to give the
! Inspector almost arbitrary power I'm
/ less his recommendations and orders
! can be summarily enforced, lapse of
time political affiliations and local
| sympathy with officers based on ignor
ance of the real conditions would par
/
of his efforts. Every Jail inspection
| law should require and contain provi-
sions which will effectively secure the
building of jails throughout which
| light and air may be freely admitted,
which have sufficient room for phys
| zeal exercise which are adequately
heated and which have provisions for
securing the personal cleanliness of the
inmates There should be. of course,
| provisions for a window in each sep
arate cell. The prison should be so
constructed as to be alb solutely fire.
proof: or If not some provision should
be made whereby each cell could be
unlocked from one point
The Alabama prison inspection law
requires that all plans and Speoifica-
lions for iails or improvements there
on be submitted to the state prison
inspector for approval.
Effects of Law
In building new iails in Alabama
the following ideas are being carried