Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-21
Our Medieval Jails
BY Frederic J. Haskin

Washington. Jan. 20.-"Out OF zoo
county Jails recently visited. only ~
were 1T for human occupation This
is the report just Fent by MrB. H. =.
McIntire, Secretary OF the Prisoners
Relief Society. after a trip from this
city to Seattle, In which she visited
some 200 jails in order 70 observe
conditions.
Mrs. McIntire found the majority
OF the institutions dirty and unhealthy.
and graft rampant The prisoner who
sends out for quart OF milk is apt
to have to pay rs cents, and the
change goes to the jailer or whoever
does the errand Vcrmin of all sorts
are the rule, rather than the ex-
cepuon in county jails. we are told.
lDisinfectants, sanitary precautions in
case OF Illness, clean Kitchens arc
Iluxuries which seem to have no place
In the average jail.
In fact, the county jail, as IL IL now
conducted, is one Of the worst evils
la the country, according to Ea.1
budding, head of tho Prisoners Re-
lief Society.
VERY little is heard about bad jail
conditions" DR.. budding says. be
cause few attacks are made against
the system or against individual In
stitutions. Inmates do not dare 70
protest against unfair treatment.
know of case in which a man who
fell III asked for a doctor. The re-
quest was refused. When he insist
ed he was knocked unconscious and al
lowed 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-prison-
er would expose bad conditions. DR..
budding explains that the ex-prisoner
, is a 'jailbird." His record is against
him. He would have a hard time es-
tablishing case against county Off
cials.
. The few weil-to-do-nen who in
; frequently get put into jail do no,
; make complaints because they do not
as a rule see conditions at their worst
Money will do more in a jail than In
, a penitentiary. The inmate can gen.
orally get luxuries II he can pay, and
: This privilege OF spending money
= has been attacked as unfair 20 prison.
ers who cannot buy Iuxuries. Ac.
cordtng TO DIR. budding. however, ths
poor men In a JAIL are glad 10 Sc,
a wealthy man come to join them be
cause his coming means that the,
will benefit.
Generosity blossoms out in sucl
= institutions, where there is much tim
: for thought, and little things becom
+, unusually important. Newspapers, 10
. bacco, fruit, and books bought by tn
= sffluent prisoner are passed around
One millionaire who was In Ioca
o Jail for three months awaiting trIs
J. for a large financial theft ls said {
: have spent about 81 900 a day o,
o himself and his neighbors during ths
time. This amount OF spending
n unusual, II Is true. But the wealth
;. man In jail can dispose OF more none
It than most people would ina CINE.
Money Helps.
II he has wealth and position
:. prisoner dose not undergo the hard
|, ships Of ordinary jail nfe. Even
II he did not spend much money. h
"a would be made comfortable, sine
" otherwise he would undoubtedly max
trouble afterwards. The wealthy ma
70 who has served his fail term. some
n how generally manages TO keep h
S. social status. He Is still a. power
be recognized, though he is a iai
rs bird.
lie Then, too, such a man is most apt
1e be held in a city Jail, where as a ri
there is better mana cement than
= rural districts. City institutions a
visited by many people, whereas rur
jail often is not
Ill DR.. budding finds that people vi
II go TO inspect conditions do not. l.
H less they are experienced. see the b
II side OF jail management. II they vri
II ahead TO make an appointment, Z
officials are warned, and the place
II cleaned up when they arrive. Officis
II plot them over the buildings a,
II point out the excellent order and I
II cheerful prisoners.
II The visitors may be asked if tn
II wish to talk with the inmates: b
II with a guard present, such a conve
n sation is not revealing. For a prison
II to complain Of the food or to rema
Il that the table dishes had been wash
4 that day for the first time in a wee
| could obviously result only in der
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