Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-03-11
r., Stor Cor,esyo,drne

BIZ StdH correspondents
NEW BRUNSWICK, March Ii
The accommodation of one hundred
and eighty-six prisoners in the county
workhouse which was built to accom-
modate only forty prisoners; the
placing of fifty-seven prisoners in a
cell block of eight cells meant to ac-
commodate eight prisoners, and h
evidences of rank and dangerous
o~ver-crowding and unhealthy condi-
lions resulting hav been reported to
h Board of Freeholders by Warden
William Goodwin, now of the county
Jail, but prior to the opening of the
new Jail warden at the county work
house.
The report is a part of the letter
which the warden submitted to the
board last week, in which he explain
ed the Dear Goodwin, soft pedal
please" note which had been the basis
OF his complaint against the board for
lack of cooperation.
In the course of his report he says:
You gentlemen probably know that
at the time the county workhouse
was built it was for the purpose of
accommodating forty prisoners. In
this workhouse there is a separate
compartment at n end with eight
cells. Each cell was so built that It
was to contain but one prisoner.
These cells were only used when there
was an ~infraction of the rules of the
workhouse, when the prisoners were
to be confined in these cells.
"Just about the time the workhouse
was opened up the contract was
awarded for the new Jail. The old
Jail was vacated on the twenty-third
day of May, 1917, and from that time
up to the twentieth day of January,
1919. the workhouse was not only
used for the D for which it was
Arto;nallx h,,fIf f1ot 40 fnr- 4ha oarfn1
of disorderly persons sentenced by
the Judge of the Quarter Sessions
court to the workhouse, but was also
used as O county jail. Now. bearing
in mind that this workhouse as q
whole only accommodates forty pris-
oners and also bearing in mind that
these cells were built to hold one
prisoner each, I was compelled as
warden of the workhouse to place as
many as fifty-seven prisoners in these
eight cells that were originally meant
to hold eight persons. I did this, also
occupying the small corridor that was
in front of the cells. 1 had as many
as 1856 prisoners in this workhouse at
one time and his number continued
for several weeks when there should
never have been over forty prisoners.
ION occasion, that is to say in
July, 1918, when they were making
the Stacker raid, I had fifty prisoners
sent in to me in one night SO that you
can readily see that this institution
was overcrowded from the time the
institution opened its doors until the
new Jail was complete. There was
never less than twenty-five prisoners
in the eight cells at any time and
there was never less than eighty-six
prisoners in the workhouse from the
time I took charge as warden until
the new jail was opened and l a an
average of about lis prisoners there
during all my time as warden.
THE method adopted by ME at the
vyorkhouse for keeping the same clean
and she prisoners clean was to have
each prisoner as he was brought in
take a bath and given clean under
wear. If he was held for the grand
i"'v ~ he'@ for trial | was then COM
PEELED to place him with the other
prisoners ia one of these eight cells
If he was simply sent up as a dis
orderly person he was not confined TO
one of these eight cells but was given
a cot in the large dorn1itory in the
workhouse. This was supplied with