Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-26

ments were reported and no bills
were found in ten cases. The only in
dictments made public made charge
against men in the Jail and it was
said that none was sensational.
Referring to the Jail aud the sher-
ifs office the report says:
An examination of the county jail
and premises reveal conditions
which prompt us to report as fol-
lows:
We find the kitchen and offices to
be clean and as attractive as condi-
tons can justify. The food is good
and plenty of the same is furnished.
We find the rug in the keepers Of
flee to be entirely worn out and we
recommend that the carpet from the
office of the district judge if removed
from that office, be utilized in the
county Jail. The floors, walls and
bedding in the Jail are not as clean as
they should be kept, and the floor
in places is in need of repair The
walls should be calsomined and the
bedding where possible should be
cleaned. We recommend that bed
ding which cannot be cleaned be de-
| Stroyed and new beddinS furnished to
take its places that no comforts nor
quilts be furnished for bedding but
that instead blankets be used and
that they be distinctly marked in largo
letters Property of the County of
Bernalillo" on both sides. We recon-
mend that the county commissioners
appoint committee whose duty it
shall be to examine and check up the
bedding and other property in the
Jail once a month, and see that it is
kept clean and not destroyed. When
bedding is worn out or in any other
way rendered useless, the same
should he turned in to the commi Tee
before new articles are issued.
We also recommend that the coun-
ty commissioners purchase suits OF
overalls and other clothing for the use
of all prisoners when put in Jail and
while there, to be returned to the
county when the prisoners are dis
charged, as the sheriff states it is i'm
possible to keep the beds clean other
wise. .
We further recommend that the
county Jail be provided WITH a steam
heating plant capable of making the
entire building comfortable during the
coolest weather, that both a. tub and
shower bath be placed in the main
building where it will be easily Access
sible to all the, inmates, and that theyI
he required to battle regularly onceI
a week while confined in the Jail, asI
well as at the time of being received.
We recommend that so far as pos
sible known and confirmed criminalsl
be isolated from other inmates and
especially from young boys.
The yard in the rear of the Jail
grounds has been used extensively asl
a dumping heap and we recommend
that this be removed forthwith.
We further recommend that as farI
as practicable, exercise be given all in
mates sufficient for the preservation
of health.
1t appears to us that the county Jail
is not the proper place to house de-
pendents and paupers. We thereforeI
recommend that when it becomes nee
essary for the county to care for suchI
unfortunates, they be furnished al
home with the Civic Bettermentl
league at the expense of the county.
We recommend that new cots be-
furnished where old ones are broken
and unsuitable.
After investigating the sheriffs of i
flee we find that the books and rec
ordS of the office have been property
kept up with the work as it accrues,
and that the duties of the office are
being performed in a satisfactory
manner, with the exception, perhaps,
of a few cases which have come be-
fore the present grand jury relative to-
getting important witnesses beforel
that body, witnesses upon whose tes-
timony the decision of the grand jury
might depend upon returningI
a true bill or no bill. WEI
do not charge neglect of duty, eitherl
wilful or otherwise, but give it as our
opinion that when a body of citizensI
are summoned at the expense of tax
payers to act as a grand jury they
should not be delayed in their work
by waiting for witnesses which should
be available.
The sheriff asks that an extra tele-
phone be installed in the hall for the
accommodation of the public so that
his private phone service will not be
interfered with during busy times
This phone might be installed as a!
pay station. The sheriff also asks
that one end of his office BE parti-
toned off to form a private officeI
very necessary in many cases. Wei
recommend that the public phone and
the partition be allowed and installed.