The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-17
Saving to State in Mainte-
nance of Prisoners Alone
Estimated at $2O,o79
TOTAL COMMITMENTS
CUT ALMOST IN HALF
Prohibitions Effects Indicate
That State Under Wet Re-
sime Sent Sick Men to|
Jail

In November. the first dry" month
IN Virginia, there were 1854 fewer
commitments to Jails in the cities and
counties in the State than in October,
the last month OF the wet" regime.
. The figures compiled from reports re-
Scsivod from every county in the state
and all the cities, except Hopewell, by
the State Board of Charities and Cor
rections show that the total number
o. prisoners committed to jail in
October was 3,1S4. and in November.
1850.
That prohibition has already begun
to pay the State in reducing expenses
OF maintenance of prisoners Is evil
dent. The saving on this one item
alone, bas!ng calculations on q
twenty-five cents per day cost for
/ each prisoner. and on An average jail
term OF hfty-four days per commit
mont. is s20,9Ts. This figure OF re-
duced expenditures for jail and
prisoner maintenance makes the nrst
months showing. under the operation
OF the prohibition law, one that justi-
fes claims made by prohibition work
ers during the Statewide campaign.
Twenty-Five cents a day as the cost
OF maintenance OF a prisoner is con-
coded a minimum estimate OF that
cost. The actual cost of feeding and
sleeping prisoners In the Jails runs
higher than twenty Ave cents n day.
Investigations made by the Board Of
Charities and Corrections last year
shows the average length OF term TO
be f1fty-four days.
Decrease In Former Wet Places.
Analysis OF the figures given In the
reports to the board shows that In
the counties, most of which were dry
under local option, there has been no
marked falling of in the number of
prisoners committed to Jail In the
counties IN which are suburbs OF wet
cities and in the cities that were wet
the falling of is great
Detailed figures for the month OF
October show that city jaiis received
997 white and l.i43 colored prisoners.
a total OF LAO. and county jails. a67
white and e27 colored. a total of ss4.
For both city and county jails the
number of white prisoners was 1854.
coiored. l.770, total OF ASA.
In November the city Jails received
but 304 white and SAL colored prison.
ers a total of s&5. and the county
jsls 27o white and 4s5 colored
prisoners. a total OF 1876. Totals for
scity AID county jails in lNovembsr
were 514 white. 1905 colored, a total
total of prisoners committed to tall
in the last wet month. The decrease
was l.S54. or 49.5 per cent. Com
menting on the reports received by
the Board OF Charities and Correc-
tons, DIR. J.. T. Mastin. secretary OF
the board. yesterday said:
Weak Wili-Povver Failed.
= This seems to indicate that during
the month before prohibition went into
effect there were in jail 1854 persons
who were not criminals. but were dis
leased through lack OF self control.
which means that the State has been
sending the sick to jail as criminals
when hospital care was what they
needed. II means also that II the state
had treated these unfortunates fairly
they would never have gone to jail,
their homes would not have been over
shaAowsd. and their families would not
have been disgraosd.
In prohibiting the sale Of intoxi-
cants in Virginia the State has taken
one step toward saving the 1,564 who
might otherwise now be In jail. Pro
hfbftfon Seems 10 have accomplished.
temporarily at least. what his own will
power could not DO for the Individual
Prohibition has thus far been sub.
situate for inhibition. But II IN October
there were 1854 diseased persons Who
cravNd alcohol. and when they could
ret II easily. became lawlsss under its
Influence, then. should interstate ship.
ments Of Intoxicating liquors become
Snore frequent, many OF this number
are ant to be subjected to temptation
again, and there will be then u corre-
spondinr increase in the jail popula-
tion.
rA~~lsa~AmAs
1T will then be the duty OF the State
to ascertain II the names Of prisoners
sent 70 Jail for drunkenness are found
ON the express companies or other
common carriers records. and II net.
70 ascertain where such prisoners OBJ
tanned their intoxicants. and effect
prosecutions where possible.
as outlined In the foregoing. .
backward swing OF the pendulum Is to
be expected. but Just how much the
fail population will be effected IL hard
40 say. However. as time goes on. an
Equilibrium will be established. and
among the changes looked for 10 a
Ienrthening OF jail sentences. In a
study Of the Jail population made by
the Board Of Charities and Corrections
Ia 1915. tho average sentence was
found to be nifty -four days. A. 'drunks'
sre seldom sentenced for long terms.
ana a. in the majority of cases the
uaual sentences 10 ten days. the average
sentencs Will be without doubt longer
n proportion to the decrease Of the
drunk population Of jaiis."