The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-11
PROHIBITION CLOSES
JA|lS IN MICHIGAN
Many County Institutions Have Not
Had an Inmate for Weeks-Cam-
paign Under Way to Shut
Scores Of Them

Detroit, Mich, Oct. 1o.-Five
months of state prohibition finds many
Michigan iails without prisoners.
Some have not had an inmate for
weeks Peace officers give all the Gre
dit to prohibition. and a definite cam
paign is under way to close scores OF
jails.
Mari r Murray. secretary OF the
state board OF corrections and chari-
ties. found the Michigan jails popu-
lation Just half what it was a. year
ago. on a recent tour in which he visl
tied thirty-hve county iails. He attri-
butes The large decrease to prohibi-
ton.
Menomsnee, Mason. Lake. Charlie
voix, Ostego. Oceana, Mackinac, An
trim and Luce county jails were emp
~ when he visited them. Many others
had only one inmate. While these are
mostly agricultural counties, similar
changes were noted IN industrial CEN
tiers, Counties which had been agi-
tating larger 1ails to relieve crowded
conditions now have room to spare.
The Jury has been excused for the
third successive term of circuit court
criminal cases. This never happened
when saloons were running in Mlchl-
gan.
During the last fiscal year. there
were 5S.Si6 criminal, cases in Michi-
gan, according to a report just issued
by Alex j. Groesheck of De troft. at
torney-general. The largest number
was for drunkenness. 1865 There
were also 1913 prosecutions for viola
avNI ~
other cases for driving automobiles
while intoxicated. and other crimes
based on liquor.
The heavy decrease in prisoners has
led to a serious economic problem. as
many counties cannot support the
jails without more fees and fines.
Charles Berry, Sheriff Of Kent coun-
ty in his presidential address to the
Michigan association of sheriffs.
chiefs OF police and prosecuting at
torneys, pointed out that last year his
county had so prisoners, and that
this year 1t has Is. Prohibition was
given all credit by Sheriff Berry,
whose county includes Grand Rapids,
the second city of the state.
The adoption OF prohibition is the
greatest single plishment that
Michigan has to her credit. said
Sheriff Berry, in his address at the
Traverse City convention. Evidences
OF the great social uplift that have
resulted since May / are apparent
everywhere.
Prohibition has SO materially re-
duced the number of arrests that
peace officers can no longer live on
their forces, sheriff Berry contended.
and the convention adopted a resolu
ton, based on that fact, to urge the
legislature TO grant increased fees.
Only few months ago the prison
situation in Michigan was serious All
state institutions were overcrowded,
but war economy tended to cut down
building appropriations of state and
counties. Now. the problem is to find
use for the empty county iails.
Kent county had a prosperous
work-farm until prohibition came
along. Now it is working out a move
ment to accept prisoners from all
western Michigan counties to keep
this institution running. The county
iails would then be abandoned, with
prisoners temporarily kept in city jails
until they could he tried and freed or
sentenced to the Kent county farm.
/, Jails IN some towns have been.
practically closed for months. Ecorse,
a Detroit suburb. has closed its muni-
cipal Jail, as there has been practi-
dale and several other cities have not
enough prisoners TO warrant main
tanning quarters.
prohlhition= has so reeolutiohszed
conditions in Michigan cities that the
wrecking of police forces by the draft
which had been though imminent has
turned out to be a blessing to the
municipalities which have thus been
relieved OF an unnecessary burden.