The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1917-06-07
REPORT ON CONDITION OF
CHAIN GANG BY STATE BOARD

The official report of the State
Board of Charities and Corrections
dealing with the condition of the
Chesterfield County chaingang has
been received at this Office This re-
port is divided under three principal
heads, "Camp Equipment" Manage
ment" and Recommendations
| In comparing the report of the
Chesterfield County chaingang with
that of number of other counties
in the State we noted that there seem
ed to be very little difference between
them. None of them, it seems, are
kept in the sanitary condition that
modern penal methods demand.
1t is not the object of the State
| Board of Charities to find fault with
oficers in the administration Of their
duties, but the attitude of that Office
is one of helpfulncss.
1t seems that in investigating the
| chaingangs two question are kept in
view: 1st, whether persons are liable
to become worse physically and NOR
ally during confinement and 2nd,
whether the treatment of convicts
on some of our chaingangs is reform
ative ir tendency and whether the
living conditions tend to prevent dis
ease.
A synopsis of the Boards findings
and recommendation with rcferencc
to the Chesterfield County chaingang
is here given:
Camp And Equipment-A pressing
need at this camp is for more com
| Portable beds for the con,icts. The
men no longer sleep or the ground as
they did when this gang was first in
spected, but their beds arc hard and
bare of comfort still. The record
keeping of the convict population is
decidedly deficient. The law direct
ing the supervisor to deduct onc-tcnth
of the sentence of convrcts ,Act 505.
Acts of 1910 is not obeye,, to the
letter.
Management-The system of dis
posing of manure and sewerage at this
camp is below our standard. The
camp, however, was very well located
and the water for drinking purposes
was gotten from source we did not
consider liable to be contaminated.
RecommendatiOns-O AS to
"The Camp and Its Equipment"-
Frevoide straw ticks for the beds of
all the convicts and two tightly cover
ed soil buckets for their tent, discard
ing numberour cans now in use as soil
buckets.
(2) AS to "Thc Convicts"-Keep
in the Office Of the supervisor in
suitable book record of the convicts
which will show the name of each
of them, the date of the commitment
of each of them, his race and age, the
length of his sentence, and the date
of his DISCHARGE with the reason for
his discharge. The foreman should
be required to keep at camp a dupl-
cate of this record. Give the convicts
fresh meat twice week and wheat
bread once a day. Follow the law
requiring the remission of one-tenth
Of the sentence Of convicts for good
behavior.
Keep the convicts' quarters clean
er. Wash their blankets and tick
cover every month.
AS to Camp Sanitation"-Dispo |
Of the sewerage by dumping it daily |
in pit dug at least $50 yards from |
camp and 100 yards from the source |
of the water supply. Cover the sew
erage carefully with dirt daily and |
burn it out with oil and straw weekly |
AS to "The Convicts"-Givee each |
a clean pair of blankets. Require the
the convicts to bathe every week in
stead of every two weeks. Do not
permit more than one convict to bathe
in the same tub Of water The pres
cnt practice of allowing three con
victs to bathc in the same tub of
water is filthy and liable to spread
disease. Give the convicts clean
clothes every week instead of every
two weeks.
This report was signed by Albert
Johnson, Secretary.
SNOW Hill