The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-02
SHERIFF REPORTS ON
ALIMONY CLUB COST
Giifenhagen Fluids County Pays
$500 a Day to Keep
Each Member.
WANTS NEW BUILDING
Asks Board Of Estimate to Pro-
vide Jail TO Replace One
in Ludlow Street.

snsrit Max $. GrifenhageE has made q
report tina. Ludlow street Jail, the home
of the "Alimory Club" should De vacated
and new jail De provided whcn will be
less expensive to maintain. lie thinks
that $3.50 Il day Is entirely TOO much for
the county to pay for tho board and keep
OF each member Of the Club
sheriff Grifenhsgen's views are ex-
pressed in a letter written to the Sinking
Fund Commission OF the Board Of Eeti-
mate, In which he said:
Upon assuming the duties OF my Office
my attention was called 10 tire expense
% maintaining the county jail and | have
given that matter my Immediate atten-
ton. The present jail consists Of brick
buildings and a large open yard or court
on land a. Ludlow and Essex streets and
Essex Market place. There arc tfty-two
cells some ~ which arc double cells
large enough to be occupied by two per
sons, having n total capacity of between
eighty and ninety prisoners. The build
Ing is antqua ted. the cells are dali, and
they ar. lighted by candles.
Prior 10 september. 1904. Feds-a'
criminal prisoners were committed 70 tho
county Jail No Federal criminal pr!s-
uGers have been cOn6ned there s.acA tnat
time. I find upon inquiry that since that
date the number Of prisoners has aver
aged abou: fourteen. The largest num-
Der Of prisoners in tho Jail on a single
day was twentv-six. On the i1th instant.
when ! visited the jail, there were t!xtser
prison @rs.
sheriff Grfenhagen said the salaries
OF employees and cost Of food supplics
fuel. &c, amount 10 sc6.7is annually
the interest AZ pc. cent. on an invest
m"nt OF s25o.coo Is $1,000 ard the
loss Of taxes Is si.2,j. Accordingly tn,
a ia, .tuil,. ~. lt"n
which makes $500 for each Of fourteen
prisoners The Sheriff continued:
~ am Informed that this matter las
been under discussion and 7 am present
ing II 70 YOU al this time in the hope
that Il serious effort may be made 70 pro-
vide Jail which viii ansWer all purposes
at proper expense. one sueeest!o
that | take ia" liberty o. presenting 10
you Is that 50 much OF the present space
as may he necessary be- utilized for the
purpose OF putting up a small building
containing not over Twenty-Five cells.
Fssed on my personal experience In mat
tors of this Kind believe such n build
ing could be erected at very moderate
expense. Epcn the erection ~ this build.
ing the rest Of the land not occupied by
the jail could either 10 utilized for other
public purposes or be sold for private
use"
Tho sheriff drew attention also to the
Tact that thu Sher.ifs office at 2?e Broad
way, which is leased AZ Sl2.5o0 year
is cut up into so many rooms that there
is considerable waste. lie believes Il
provision were made TO house the Sher,fTs
staff IN the new Municipal Building or
the Hall Of Records where the sheriff
could hav. "on- large. open room" a
great savings could be made. lie says
there is no reason ~hy tho sheriff Under
Sheriff. counsel and deputies should be
In separate rooms and that "the Sheriff