Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-29
we'll and sick. Biscuits especially are
not fit to be eaten.
Diet Too Restricted


bread can be cooked. AS a health
measure it is greatly to be desired.
A large number of prisoners COM
plain of stomach trouble and indiges-
ton and a correction as to the bread
diet will, in our opinion, in a great
measure relieve this. We think,
moreover, it will be more economical.
"The diet is too restricted. A
greater variety of foods should be
fed to prisoners. The diet Of pork
and COW peas is altogether too regu-
lar and complaint is made and seems
in a measure, at least, to be sus-.
tanned that the pork is sometime
spoiled, or rancid, and the peas are
infested with weavils. There should
be raised on the farm an abundance
of cabbage, turnips, beans and other
green vegetables in season and these
should be regularly fed to the pris-
OnerS.
Improvement in the quality and
variety of food has been promised by
the new superintendent and we trust
it will materialize more substantially
than the mere "clean sweeping of
a new BROOM"
Shoes and Socks
much complaint is made in ref
erence to the inability Of prisoners
to get shoes and socks when needed.
"The evidence submitted and adj
missions made by officers would in
dictate that there was some trouble
along, these lines, A sufficiency,
even a surplus, If these articles
should be on hand at all times to
supply the. needs of prisoners.
''It is ineXcusable that sufficiency
of wearing apparel, socks and shoes
should not at all times be available
for immediate supply to prisoners.
Water Supply
eve cannot too strongly condemn
the water plant, if it may be dig
nified by that name, in use and
the quantity and quality Of water
furnished.
Legislation Necessary
''It may be that the prison COM
missioners cannot remedy this con-
dition without a special legislation
appropriation, and that they must
continue to submit to it and subject
the prisoners to the perils of the eX.
listing conditions, unless and until
the general assembly provides suf-
ficient funds to install a modern
water plant Of sufficient capacity to
insure an adequate supply of pure
water for drinking, cooking and
bathing purposes availablet o pris-
oners at all times. Water is one of
tho natural ements essential to the
health and comfort of human be-
ings and to incarcerate them, and, re-
strain them of their liberty, so they
deny them an abundance of it is
nothing short of wilful and wanton
inhumanity and cruelty. g..
1.-THE main supply is obtained by
pumping from the creek and is
muddy and obviously unwholesome.
The three wells connected with the
pumping station are shallow surface
wells and necessarily are subject to
become infected, if not already so.
Moreovre, the supply seems at times
to b" inadequate to provide water for
prisoners to even bath their faces
and hands. This @oes not apply to
drinking water which is supplied
from a well, and which is sufficient
in quantity apd apparently so in
quality.
1--WE urge your eXcellency to
state this matter in strong terms to
the general assembly, and urge inn
mediate relief from the intolerable
existing conditions.
"O Punishment of prisoners.
ar.i1,
of punishment for prisoners must
be provided. The prison cannot be
turned over to the inmates, nor can
they be allowed to rum it. The Of.
ficials must have charge of and must
run it, and the inmates must be
| obedient to them and to the rules
provided for its government, and SUBJ
| mssive to constituted authority.
Nothing less than this can be toll
Grated. On the other hand, officials
must be reasonable and humane.
Humane Punishment
LAS class prisoners are rebel
lious against authority and dis
| Obedient of rules of conduct. Be.
cause Of these characteristics, in
part at least, they are prosecuted
and become prisoners. They bring
some of this spirit with them to the
prison. They must be made to sub.
NIT to rules and to obey the officers
over them. If to accomplish this it
| becomes necessary to punish. them
they must be punished. The punish
mept, in all instances, however,
must be reasonable and humane.
"The only matter dealt with in
| this report about which your COM
missioners are at all disagreed is
| whether whipping under any cir
cumstances comes within this defini-
! ton Of punishment. But a ma ority
of the commissioners are of opinion
that whipping or flogging of pris-
oners cannot be justified as either
a necessary, reasonable or humane
| mode Of punishment. 1t is inhuman,
| brutal and degrading and ought to
| be forbidden by express legislative
| enactment and is no recommended.
"All of us are agreed that if whip
| ping is to be recognized and used
as a. form of punishment, it should
never be used for trivial offenses.
and should only be used as a last
resort, and after all other means
| to correct Objectionable conditions
and enforce discipline have been en-
| plCyed and failed. We find this has
not always been the practice, how
ever There have been brought to
our attention no instances of inhu-
man or cruel whippings except as
the mere whipping of prisoners may
| be inherently cruel.
I'D Medical department.
''Ir considering this department it
| must be remembered that this prison
is the dumping ground for physic-
ally and mentally deficient convicts
| and for female convicts.