The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-11-10
NEEDS
NEW JAIL BUILDING
MIR. A. D. Oliphant, of the State
Board of Charities and Corrections
Gives His Views

The remodeling of the interior of
the Abbeville county Jail or the erec-
ton of new Jail building as soon
as possible, is considered highly de-
sirable by A. D. Oliphant, the assist
ant secretary of the State Board of
Charities and Corrections, who in
spected the institution on October
p and returned to Abbevflle on
November 8 to visit the city Jail, the
county almshouse, and the county
chaingang camps. Mr.. Oliphant sug-
gested that it might be found practi-
cable to sell part of the jail lot to
defray some of the cost of making
The alterations in the present Jail or
of building a new Jail.
81 base my opinion that Abbeville
should build a new Jail or extensively
remodel its present JAIL" explained
Mr.. Oliphant, son the fact that the
structure is a fire trap, that the cells
are poorly ventilated and lighted and
that there are no sewerage fixtures
for the use of the prisoners"
The Jail building, though very old,
is solidly constructed and in, good
state of preservation as far as the
foundations and outer walls are con-
cerned, except for a crack from top
to bottom in the western wall caused
by an earthquake.
''The exterior corridors around the
cell blocks on the second and third
floors are well ventilated" continued
the representative of the State Board
of Charities and Corrections. "The
cells, however, are ventilated by
means of a grating of fat two inch
iron bars four feet wide and six feet
high. Since the cells are solidly
enclosed except for these gratings
there is no circulation of air in them.
Very little sunlight gets into any of
the cells AS consequence of this
lack of air and sunlight, the cells in
the Abbeville Jail are unsanitary and
unfit places to confne human. beings.
am satisfied that the jailer does the
best he can to make the cells habita-
ole, but he cannot overcome the
handicap of their poor construction.
This the county should remedy at
the earliest possible moment"
The State Board of Charities and
Corrections, created by the last ses-
sion of the general assembly. has
visitorial and advisory powers over
all the penal, charitable and correc-
tional institutions in South Carolina.
Mr.. W. N. Graydon, representative
from Abbeville county, introduced
the bill in the house to create the
Board. 1t was largely due to Mr..
Graydon's strong advocacy of the
measure that the house passed it by
large majority.
The Board as whole or by COM
mittee has paid its first visit to the
State penal, charitable and correc-
tional institutions. The visiting of
county and municipal jails and chain
gangs, and county almshouses is be-
ing done as rapidly as is consistent
with thoroughness by Albert S. John
stone, secretary of the Board, and A.
D. Oliphant, his assistant.
"The Board intends to work in the
closest cooperation with the officials
in charge of the various institutions
over which is has visitorial AMI ad-
visory powers" said Mr.. Oliphant in
talking of the work he is doing.
where the Board or its agents find
in an institution undesirable condi-
tions which the official in charge of
it can remedy they go to him and
ask him to correct it. In cases where
the official in charge of an institution
as in your county Jail, cannot bring
about better conditions, then the
Board or its agents appeal directly to
the public to apply the remedy"
The Board will report to the State
Board of Health on sanitary condi-
tions in penal institutions in the
State.
Mr.. Oliphant brought with him to
Abbeville model of portable house
designed as quarters for convicts as
county chaingangs by Secretary
Johnstone. Supervisor Willimon of