The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-29
SYSTEM OF JA|LS
IS BARBAR0US
Not Single Reformatory Feat
ure, Says Board of Charities
and Corrections.
NOW EDUCATING CRIMINALS
state Should Own Relorma-
tories Outright, Says
Report.
NOW EDUCATING CRIMINAL S

The jail system OF Virginia does not
contain "A single refOrmat ory feature,
but. on the other hand, presents II
pressing social problem in the cduca-
;ion of several thousand young crimi-
nails every year. according TO the an
nual report OF the state Board OF Chart
ties aud Corrections, which was for
war1cd To the public printer yesterday.
The system is described as IL relic OF
Colonial DAYS, Some of its features go
ing back to prehistoric times. The
average county or cily Jail is described
Us q "barburous Institution invented
primarily as AN instrument Of torture
10 meet desperate conditions or unset
tod ages"
The Virginia Jail system" the re-
port says. does not contain n single
rcfornatory feature, but. on the other
Land. serves TO train criminals for life
When Il young man enters Jail. even
Tor the most trivial oftcnsc. the chances
are four 10 ono that he will return
aHaiii and again for longer periods.
until he Winds up in the penltentiary."
lIotbed OF Crime aud Discnse.
The Richmond Jail is described AZ
The best-lcpt Jail In the Common
wealth but the manner OF It's Keeping
"a all that the bonrd finds to commend
us location. down In ravime, sur
rounded b. stables. incinerators and
open sewers. !s roundly condemned, the
ieport stating that there is not single
I"tornatorj or correctional idca sut:-
Eested b. It's location. Liko other tails
Of the state. whore all kinds OF pris-
oners are herded together IN absoiut.
idlencss. the place is described as a
'hotbed OF disease and contngion and
constant menace 10 Tie health az tho
community
The report SAYS
Serving time in jail is not usually
al
TO the criminal Habitual Offenders
commit sliuht onenses to lind shelter
there FOR tho winter months
I'm tho jails they live in ldlenes..
They are lodged. fed. clo,hed. kop,
warm, ana even givon medical attcu
lion when sick, altogether fr,. or cost
or OF any effort on their part They
ieVel III the vile pleasures az lo,y com
panionship, the telling Of indecent
Jokes and s&prics or crimes. ard i'm
hulging I'm Gran shooting ana vic.
iirnithy Empi"Hmcnt N-m-dinI Agent.
In such places. ana in such sur
roundings the innocent man or The nm
fortunate-thc man awaiting trial for
a crime he did not coihmlt--,hr 20
lined woman brought into trouble by
mental aiii.ctinu awaiting removal To
an asvlum. arc all Ncked up in Jail.
"lth IT'S disgrace IT'S ilth, its physical
and moral pcriis its nanclcsi horror
lhc state entirely ignores the funda-
mental principle that healthy en-
3ioyment IS most effective remedial
agent
Chairman : c Hatcher reports that
tle board has continued during the
ar the Special Investigation into the.
number and condition OF feeble minded.
and tho department now has on record
Vie names and addresses OF SSH fe"-
hlc- minded persons. ana estimates that
there arc in ;hc State At least GOO
other high grade imbecilcs and morons
not reported.
The board found many colored chill
drcn in iails as incorrigiblc ana has
provided homes in 1ie respectable col
"r"d families FOR that number OF chill
dren, OF whom only seven have proved
.ucorrig bio.
III the special report on the problem
of tho feeble minded, the board recon-
iusnds classes for backward children
in prlmary schools throughout the
state; that departments for training of
backward children be established i'm
schools for delinqucnts. that AN appro-
priafion be made for a school TO he
located at the Epilcptic Colony farm
for feeble minded Children that the
colony u" extensively enlarged TO pro-
vide for INDECENT imbccllcs and m6tons:
that the colony he separated from tho