The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-19
Frederick Haskin's Lettar
Especial coErespendnee Of aAa Arrunl -
Our Medieval JaiLs.

I MASHlnSlOu, H. L., JAN 10
"Out of 200 county Jails recently
| visited, only 10 were fit for human
| occupation" This is the report just
sent by Mrs. II. S. McIntire, secre-
! tary of the Prisoners Relief Soc
ETY., after a trip from this city to
! Seattle, in which she visited some
! 200 jails in order TO observe con-
ditions.
! Mrs. McIntire found the majority
of the institutions dirty and UNI
| healthy, and graft rampant. The
prisoner who sends out for a quart
OF milk is apt to have to pay 20
cents, and the change goes to the
jailer or whoever does the errand.
Vermin of all sorts are the rule,
rather than the exception in coun-
ty jails, we are told. Disinfectants,
sanitary precautions in cs.se of ILL
ness, clean kitchens are Injuries
which seem 20 have no place in the
average jail.
In fact, the county Jail, as it is
now conducted, is one of the worst
evils in the country, according 10
Earl budding. head of the Prison
ers' Relief society.
Very little is heard about bad
Jail conditions" DR.. budding says,
because few attacks are made
against the system or against in
dividual institutions. Inmates do
not dare to protest against unfair
/ treatment. l know of a case in
which man who fell i'll asked for
doctor. The request was re-
fused. When he insisted, he was
knocked unconscious and allowed
to lie on the floor all night with
wound in his head. So there are few
protests from prisoners"
You might think that the eX-pris-
oners would expose bad conditions.
DR.. budding explains that the ex-
prisoner is a 'jailbird." His rec
ord is against him. He would have
a hard time establishing a case
against county officials.
The few well-to-do men who in
frequently get put into jail do not
make complaints because they do
not as rule see conditions at their
worst. Money will do more in
Jail than in a penitentiary. The. in
he can pay. and the man of means
does pay.
This privilege of spending money
has been attacked as unfair to pris-
oners who cannot buy Injuries. Ac-
cording to DR.. budding, however,
the poor men in a Jail are glad 20
see a wealthy man come to join
them, because his coming means
that they will benefit.
Generosity blossoms out in such
institutions, where there is much
time for thought, and little things
become unusually important. News
papers, tobacco, fruit and books
bought by the affluent prisoner are
passed around. One millionaire
who was in a local Jail for three
months awaiting trial for a large
financial theft is said to have spent I
about $1,000 a day. on himself and /
his neighbors during that time. This /
amount of spending is unusual, it +
is true. But the wealthy man in /
Jail can dispose of more money
than most people would imagine
Money Helps.
If he has wealth and position Il !
prisoner does not undergo the !
hardships of ordinary Jail life Even !
if he did not spend much money, he !
would be made more comfortable, /
since otherwise he would undoubt !
eddy make trouble afterwards. The !
wealthy man who has served his |
jail term somehow generally man
ages to keep his social status. He /.
is still power to be recognized /
though he is a jailbird.
Then, too. such a man is most /
apt to be held in a city jail, where
as a rule there is better manage
ment than in rural districts City
Institutions are visited by many
people, whereas rural jails often are
not
DR.. budding finds that people /
who go to inspect conditions do not, :
unless they are experienced, see the
bad side of Jail management. II
they write ahead to make an ap-
pointment, the officials are warned,
and the place is cleaned up when
they arrive Officials pilot them /
over the buildings and point out the
excellent order and the cheerful
prisoners.
The visitors may be asked if they
wish to talk with the inmates; but !.
with a guard present. such a con- ;
Tersation is not revealing. For
prisoner to complain of the food or
% remark that the table dishes had