Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-08
THE CITY JAIL
fir;! ami insunitnry school for Crime
Nays stcport--Frc Systcm
IL iilnmcd.

Hir'' AMI insnnitnry school for Crime
Says H"port--Fre System
In HInmcd.
rae c.,N jail is dirsy ana insanitary
k The cells are Infested with vermin
'ii m"ny Of them arc used as storage
ns. etc arhc Utility corridors showed
tt,at ,heT mad no, been inspected, Ma
prisoners. even for thc.r daily wash
ing OF lac" and hands. The prisoners
loved 10 consrcgStc in the corridors
;IromiscU"usly 80 that the jail is In
,nan;' respects "A school Of crime
Women prisoners are left in the cus-
tody OF male guards for seventeen
hours out OF tn" twenty-four. The
jail is without; fire buckets. not 10
! Ihc aumbcr OF guards Is entirely ina
, depuaie aud they are required to re-
main On du;y from, eleven TO. twelve
it"rS are permitted to enter the Jail
any day during the week and az often
: as desired, and ,hey are not Inspected
! 10 see that contraband is not delivered
to the prisoners. Lawyers are per-
mitted to solicit business from Eris-
oncrs in the Jail, a custom that IS open
10 grave abuses.
The defecis in the management. OF
the Jail that have been pointed out and
others that are mentioned In the report
should he corrected through a complete
change in methods. organization and
regulations. as outlined in the report
since the Jail is under the supervis-
ion OF tho city Sergeant who receives
no salary bat depends entirely upon
fees at the rate fixed by law. and who
DAYS his subordinates out OF his fees
Ialthough some Of the subordinatcs
are paid small salaries in addition. by
the city or S:ateJ. many of the fea-
lures that were observed in the con-
duct Of ;hc jail can be readily under
atood. In order 20 make a living. the
l CITY Sergeant mist make the jail pay.
Abolish tho Fec system.
] ia n las, tn n
I CRY Sergeant should he abolished and
! THO fail should be conducted, super
v!scd and financed hy The city Of Rich :
| iuond through a warden. with guards
| and matrons All these employees
should be placed on the city payroll
and controlled through the budget. The
! basis. The position OF City Sergeant
/ should be abolished. and the functions
7 lie now exercises IN connection with
! the Hastings Court should be exercised
( BY ne sheriff. The old and Inadequate
device OF allowing u fixed sum per day
| for food and maintenance OF such IN
mate should he abandoned, and the
| prisoners treated in the same way re
| rardinG food as inmates OF other city
{ Institutions. although The menu should
| not he elaborate.
1t is also recommended: THAT All
employees OF the Jail be selected by
| the Mayor. as II result OF competitive
| civil service examination: that the
! salaries OF all employees of the jail
| lie fixed by Council and paid out of city
| funds: 'tnat the indctcrninate sentence
law or tho state of New York be adopt-
al and n board OF parole for the city
| OF Richmond be appointed: that a
/ farm colony he established. and that
I provision he made by law for permit
! ting the prisoners to share IN the
| profits accruing out Of their labor at
| Industries which should be establish
} ed; 'that but one physician be employ
/ clan be required 10 reside at the jail
| as at present. and that he maintain
| complete and detailed records oil tho
! services rendered by him: that all pri-
| sonars on admission be searched by mn
! officer OF the jail and all property in
| their possetton removed. Including
money: that proper record OIL such
| guards be present when prisoners are
searched. that all prisoners on admis-
| sion toe detained in the unused cell and
| not ASSIGNED TO regular cells until they
| have been given Il thorough physical
| examination.
Better discipline I'm the Jail.
That discipline be maintained to the
| extent Oh preventing as lar as posslDie
prisoners conSrcshtlnS III groups ABOUT
! the jan; tnal Hii Uf Inc mattresses now
! IN use Dc condemned and mat new mat
| ireAScs be provided; the new mattresses
snouIu DC cQ-,Dpcd with an QUEER Gov
cring when can he removed and
| washed III intervals, that each pris-
oncr upon admission be given 4 cicnn
! mattress cover; that NIL cells he Thor
oughly cleaned ut once; that com
| miltue OF council be appointed to make
| al study Of jail industries FOR the pur-
! pose OF establishing 1T the City jail IN
! QuStrics which viii 10 prohtabie b0th
! to the city and the prisoners. that con
! rictcd prisoners be prohibited from Sc
curing Il, their own expense foods from
OUTSIDE the jail; that more nutritious
| rood in greater variety be fed the pris-
oners; mat the practice OF allowing
| lawyers TO visit the Jail for the pun
! pose of soliciting business be diston-
W Yer bV No r.
mittcd Ito visit prisoners at the pris-
i oner's request; that a record Of all
visits OF lawyers 10 the prison be main
tanned: that convicted prisoners be re-
s;ricted as TO the number of visitors
| they may receive and that definite days
and hours be set aside as visiting
| lraband materials entering the Jail, all
! prisoners be properly inspected upon
! admission; that no prisoners he dcliv-
/ cred to any persons for any reason cx-
cept upon the written order of the
| cpmmitting Judge which order should
be filed In Tie Office OF the city SER
gcant and a detailed record of the pris-
oners leaving and returned to tho jail.
be maintained: that the practice of per-
| forming major surgical operations in
the prison hospital DC discontinued. and
crations he transferred 10 the city hos
I pital; that tho Jail be equipped with
the necessary auxiliary fire lighting
apparatus to afford ample protection.
The Coroner.
The direct cost Of coroner to the city
| is about $500 a year The work re-
| ulrcs only 81 small part OF tho coro-
ncr's time. and 1t could be performed
easily and more satisfactorily by two
medical examiners on part time at
81 900 a year each or less having tho
medical examiners attached to the of
| fee of the Commonwealth attorney
| This would not only save about $500
| n year, but IL would be in accordance
with the tendency OF tho times which
Els 10 abolish coroners and coroncrs
| courts with their record of irre9ulari-
nature OF tho quasi-judiUiai proceedings
| hold by coroners. who are usually not
| well verscd in the conduct of legal In
designations. opens tho way to nrregu-
lartties oven with the best intentioned
| corOnors. Tho coroner's status In
Richmond Is uncertain. as he claims to