Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-01-20
The HQSki,1 Letter 81 'ss Rs:2S
OUR MEDIEVAL JAILS.

day for the first time in week, could
obviously result only in denial by the
officials and hard treatment for the
unfortunate who protested. The pris-
oners know this, and they do not COM
plain on such occasions.
When DR.. budding pointed out con-
ditions in one Jail in a nearby state,
his accusations aroused the county to
action. A grand juryman came to
Washington to talk over the situation;
go out there to see for yourself, Z
budding told him. "But when you go,
insist on the officials staying out and
letting you go in alone. The men will
then tell you exactly what I have, and
show you proof"
Dirty bedding, dirty clothing, bad
ventilation, rats, vermin, and poor food
sound like medieval prison conditions,
but they are not the root evil, DR..
budding explains. A great part of
Jail discomfort is attributed by him
and by others acquainted with the sit
uation to the fee system.
The Fee System
The fee system works this way: for
every inmate in Jail the jailer re-
for food and such clothing and neces-
sites as may be called for. The
amount given varies widely in differ
ent states and counties. It may be
said, roughly to average 30 cents a
day per person. The jailer is gener-
ally paid a small salary, and If any
thing can be saved out Of the expenses
Of the prisoners he can pocket it.
Thus. if he can feed his boarders on
beans, bacon and potatoes for IL cents
day and save more than 80 cents a
head, he sometimes succumbs to the
temptation of making this much profit,
regardless Of the health of the men
who are dependent on him. This profit,
whatever it is, the jailer may divide
with the sheriff who gave him his po-
litical appointment.
DR.. Budding says that when crime
is dull, and q Jail is empty it is not
an unknown practice for sheriff to
speak to special detectives on the rail-
roads about the hard times. If the
detectives are amenable to the sugges-
ton, they will take extra trouble to
hunt out all the hoboes they can find
up the jail Each boarder at the in
for few days and send them to fill
stitution means, of course, 20 cents Il
day, or whatever can be saved out of
the expense money, to the jailer.
Politics, too. play part in Jail adj
ministration. The sheriff is elected
He appoints a county jailer and as is
always true where political appoint
ments are made, sometimes a man is
tive ability or honesty. So graft some
times creeps in.
Personal belongings of prisoners,
such as watches, knives and wallets,
are taken from them when they wear
Jail clothing. We are told that in some
places the jailer does not consider it
necessary to return these articles
when the man is released One pris-
oner who was transferred to a peni-
Tertiary was refused S12 left in his
pocket when he entered Jail to await
trial. The prisoner was helpless. The
superintendent of the penitentiary
learned of the instance, however, and
wrote letter which brought the $12
by return mail.
So long as the fee system and poll
able county jails, the situation cannot
be much improved. DIR. budding be-
lieves. Here and there where investi-
cations are held or officials are hon
est and take a personal interest in the
welfare of their charges, there are
jails which are sit for human beings
to live in."
The remedy, according to DR.. Dud-
ding, is to make Jail officials civil
service appointees. He thinks that if
the federal government were to super
wise these institutions and inspect
them vigorously once a month condi-
tons would be bound to improve.
The next best thing would be state
control of the county institutions for
prisoners This would be easier to
bring about than federal control Dr.
budding also thinks that by limiting
Jail officials to fixed salaries of rea-
sonable size, and by having strict
system of accounts and supervision,
our medieval jails could be made con-
sidsrably more up-to-dat