The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-22
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Jefferson's Jail Conditions
To the Editor of The Age-Herald

The recent report of the grand jury dis have been going on at the county jail, unchecked for a long time. No man that has never been confined in this institu- ton can possibly know of the sunerings the prisoners have to endure at the hands of officials in charge of that institution. The daily papers often refer to this prison as "carbuncle'' and well does it deserve that name The name carbuncle, how ever, has been applied by those who have seen it from the outside" and not from the inside" Had they have seen it from the inside a worse and more appropri- ate name would have been selected.
 I was confined in this alleged prison from June 20 until December 24, 1915 in- elusive, and am therefore in a position to know some of the inside facts.
 The report of the grand jury states that fraction less than 10 cents day is ex- pended for food for each prisoner con- fined, although the state pays 30 cents a day for such food, making 8 difference of little over 20 cents day that goes into someone's pocket and at the same time causing the prisoners to go hungry.
 Now the question that arises in my mind is why the parties or party that wthholds this 20 cents day from each prisoner is not indicted for larceny?
 I know of one man who is at present confined in the county jail awaiting an appeal to the supreme court for having appropriated" a $4 yearlilig belonging to if wal cording to the grand jury's report the price of several yearlings day is being withheld from the food allowance of the state daily without prosecution.
 Is there any difference in the man appropriating the yearling in one case and another man "appropriating'' the feed money in the other? If so, where is it?
 Reference is also made in the report of the grand jury to the janitor's service at that institution. As a matter of fact, the board of revenue approplia iates the sum of $lS0 month for janitor services at the county jail and not even pre- tense of doing the work other than fore ing the prisoners through a system of slavery to do the work is attempted.
 I was locked up during the hottest part of last summer in a small, i'll ventilated cell for over three weeks for tine offense of refusing to take my hands and clean the inside of water toilets. It was not my duty to do 1t, the sheriff receiving s1sO a month for that purpose and he cannot even show a "igure-head" that receives this money or does this work. He cer- tain1y did not do one lick of janitor' s work in the white department of the jail during the term that I was confined there, covering six months. In other wolds, over 5000 of the taxpayers money was paid out at the county Jail during the year 1915 for which not one lick of serv- ices wasN rendered and the jail was al- lowed to stay in condition of extreme fi.thiness for want of such services.
 have seen white men knocked down and beaten in such a manner as to re- quire the services of & doctor to attend their injuries for refusing to do this jani- tors work.
 have seen men handcuffed with their hands above their heads and remaining in that position for over an hour for re- fusing to do this janitors work that it was the duty of the sheriff to have done and for which he drew over 5000 from the county treasury last year. I, myself. was locked up over three weeks and subjected to abuse for not doing it.
 I have gone hungry many times for want of food when I was unable to buy it from the outside. No man who has ever been confined there will say that there is enough furnished, even such as it is. yet the state of Alabama pays a sui ficient amount to feed all prisoners and feed them well.
 The report of the grand jury will doubt less have the same effect that other sim liar reports have had, be ignored and these same conditions allowed to con- tinue.
 There is not an official of Jefferson county but what knows the conditions that exist there and yet it Is allowed to go on with impunity. In my opinion, no