The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-22
CIVIC BODY TO
PROBE STATES
PENAL SYSTEM

Plan Is::ludes County Jails,
State Prison and ALI the
Reformatories.
New Haven Dec. 19.-Following a
most severe and, extensive, condemna-
>tion of conditions at the New Haven
county jail and the entire system of
county management, the civic fed
GRAFTON has voted to appoint a COM
mittee to formulate a petition to the
governor asking him to appoint a
commission to investigate the entire
penal system of the state, to include
the state prison, the boys and girls
reformatories, and the. county jails.
The governor will be impressed in
the petition with the necessity of in
vestigating conditions at the New
Haven county Jail, particularly. The
motion to investigate conditions was
made by DR.. William L. Carmalt and
seconded by Professor Henry w. Far
nam of Yale -@
Professor Farname amended\ it to
include recommendation that a
committee, abe appointed at the same
time to investigate the system jof
county government, Professor Far
nan1's amendment was carried. In
making 1t he added that the city of
NewgHaven,- which had been criti-
cised- by DR.. Hastings H. Hart, direcs
tor Of the Child Helping department
Of the Russell Sage foundation, for
its acduiescent attitude. toward con-
ditions at the Jail, had no more to
say about the county commissioners
than the government of Turkey.
They have no voice, he added, in the
selection of the county commissi orr
ers who represent an arbitrary and
inadequate form of government.
Judge Albert McC.. Mathewson
suggested that there is already a
commission at work investigating the
penal institutions of the, state, which
woulH probably report 1.-THE incom-
ing session Of. the legislature, but
none present seemed to be aware Of
such a commission
Jacob Walter Applauds.
Striking as is the report made by
the two experts, O. r. Lewis and DR..
Hart, and the committee Of the civic
federation, 1.-THE Speech of DR.. Hart
yesterday was one of the most caustic
and drastic reports given of a system
and an Institution which has ever
been heard in this city and through
out the whole meeting County Com
missioner Jacob Walter, who was at
the guest table at the elbow of DR..
Hart, frequently applauded his sug-
gestions and nodded agreement to the
citation Of conditions, but after the
meeting explained to those members
of the federation who questioned him
that the county has no money to do
any better.
DR.. Hart advised that the women
be removed from the county Jail
Within sixty days that the county
commissioners Immediately obtain
goods farm of sixty acres on lease
and erect houses for the prisoners
there at a cost to the county of about
$500. per bed. The county could be
bonded for this purpose, inasmuch as
it is now out of debt but it re1hains
to be seen what the, county commits
sion will do with the recommends
where Responsibility Rests.
De- Hart said the responsibility for
the discreditables condition which
prevails at the Jail 4 rests upon the
county commissioners who are re-
sponsible for the administration of
the Jail, fix the budget and make the
rules. .eThe, county commissioners, -
said he, fare responsible for the ex-
traordinary contract which was exc
cuted by them in 1908 and has been
renewed by them from time to time
and stands valid until 1918.
THE responsibility rests. second,
upon the citizens and taxpayers of
New Haven county, who have allow
ed the present system of conditions
to, exist without protest
While the report Of the federation
and the official report of the investi-
gators was, drastic. enough, it was
treatment Of the bare facts, but what
it lacked DR.. Harris individual report
took up. and he pictured conditions
Of filth, vermin, near-morality and
inadequate fire protection which al
most paralyzed the imagination of
those who listened to him.
y Suggest Quick Remedy.
OF thef. fire conditions which inn
peril the lives Of women in the Jail
he said they could be remedied in
six hours. if the county commission
ers willed it. Recommendations for
fire escapes had never been perfect
County Commissioner Walter answer
! ed this criticism by saying that the
county had notsheretofore ON ned the
property upon which the side of the
building needing fire escapes abutted,
and could not put them on.
From the text of the report Of the
conditions found there the same
catastrophe the Jail fire could oc-
cur again for barred walls were
found identical with those which
hern1ned in the fremen several years
ago.
Recorprnendations were made that
any enlargement of the Jail be dis
couraged, and that state commit
tee be appointed to formulate new
Jail system for the state.
DR.. Harris. report was in part as
follows: j
ION the women's side only about
one-fourth of the inmates are en-
ployed and the rest are huddled to-
gether in the corridors without work.
| schooling or. recreation; murderesses
thieves, adventuresses, prostitutes
shop-lifters. insane women, feeble
minded women and pregnant women
"A young girl. arrested on suspi-
cion OF having stolen an article OF
jewelry from her employer, who may
be subsequently found to be absol-
| utely innocent, Is forced into close
Az