The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-01-15
the COUNTY INSTITUTIONS,
OLIPliANT TELLS OF CONDITION,
IN PENAL AND CHARITABLE
ORGANIZATIONS.
S"tc bOard OF Charities aud COrrcc-
uons Makes Report to Legislature
On inspections of Institutions in
Twenty-sevcn Counties.

-SN'Ch SOuutlCS.
Columbia, Jan. 12.-The first annual
report of the State Board of Charities
and Corrections to the general assem-
bly, contains abstracts of detailed re-
ports made to the board by it's two
secretaries on their inspections of
Jaiis' aims houses and chaingang
camps In "a counties. These abstracts
from the detailed reports of inspec.
lions tell how the paupers, prisoners
and convicts were being housed, fed,
clothed, and cared for on the davs
when the institutions were~visited nv
one OF the boards agents. The boarl
says that conditions in any institution
may have changed since it was in
spected, but that the abstracts from
the detailed reports are intended to
picture conditions found on the dav of
the visit.
The secretary and assistant secre-
tary Of the State Board of Charities
and corrections are continuing taeir
visitorial work.
The reports of the State Board of
Charities and Corrections on public
penal and charitable institutions in,
Sumter county are reprinted below:
Sumter County Jail.
Ioi1or n yU n,,1.
915.
me jail IS two-story brick build
Ing erected 1S or 20 years ago. There,
are IL cells in the jail. four for white
males and white females, four for ne.
gro males and four for negro fe.
males. The average daily number of
prisoners is 21.1. The maximum
known number of prisoners in Jail at
one time was As. Only two of the
four cells for white males and females
contain sleeping equipment. In one
OF these cells there is cot in bad rcz
pair and in the other a double bed
without springs, The cells occupied
by the male and female negro prison
ers are equipped with, canvas ham,
mocks. Four hammochs can be slung
In each Of the coils in the negro Ie-
partment. Blankets ere the only bed
clothing used for negroes. Mai
tresscs are provided for white prison
ers. Both the white and negro quar-.
ters are very poorly ventilated, espc-
cially the fonmer.
Prisoners wear their own clothina
while In Jail. When this Gets ..to.
black" the taller buys oyeralls ard
shirts for them. Since the first OF ihs
year about $Stor s1o has been spent
for clothing for prisoners.
When negro prisoners arc sick they
are given a. cell to themselves in tho
negro department.. White prisoners
who are i'll are put out in the corridor
between the cells in the white depart
Elent. II a city prisoner in the county
jail becomes very iii his sentence is
SuSpcHueu On occasion, county pf!S-
oners who are very i'll may be sent to
the hospital In Sumter.
The prisoners food is prepared by
hired negro woman cook. The dieting
fee is 40 cents day a prisoner. On
the day Of the visit, the prisoners
menu was:
Breakfast: Fried bacon, hominy
and cornbread.
Dinner: Boiled bacon, Irish pota-
toes and cornbread.,
Supper: None served.
In three of The four cells used by
white prisoners there are sheet iron
and flush toilets. There is
an enameled bath tub in the fourth
cell. The enamel surface is rough
making it hard to keep clean. There
is a flush toilet and lavatory at the
end of the corridors between the cells
used for negro males and females. In
there is a shower bath par
TALLY enclosed by metal sheets in the
cOrridOV Oufcido of ho ooIle fOc No