The Topeka state journal., 1922-07-05
But Chicago University Ora
Makes Interesting Report.
Cells for Three Men Usually
Used by Four or Five.
ALL IS DEMOCRACY THERE
Thefts sEPraiseworthy," But
Social Offenses Not CondOned.
=, Last Cigaret Is Shared With a
"Pal," Says Student.

Chicago, Ill, July Eliminates of
the Cook county jail will share last
cigaret, and "a man can share smoke
and eats IL ne is liked. even If he
has no money" according to Nels An
derson, a graduate student at the
University of Chicago. Mr.. Anderson
declared in a report to Dean George
w. Kirchway OF New York, director of
the Cook county Jail survey, that
while a voluntary prisoner at the jail
he found cells six by eight feet in
area, and, with provision for three
men, occupied by four or five. and
without much room for TWO men to
sleep on the floor
I'm polite terms said Mr.. Kirch-
way in his report, 1.-THE medical exam
ination might be called a farce. or else
the doctor was a very efficient man
He examined thirty or more of. us in
less than five minutes.
Society Even in Jail.
''The old part of the jail in which
spent most of my stay was very
crowded. Each cell is equipped to
Accommodate three men. but there
were four men and sometimes five in
some cells. 1 was told they were even
more crowded during the winter. The
cells are about six feet by eight, and
a1Ler room Is taken lot a IOlAeI, d
wash bowl and space for three-deck
bed there is not much room for two
naen to sleep on the floor.
Each prisoner is entitled to a mat
tress and pillow which are filled with
corn huSks. About once a month the
ticks are emptied and cleaned. A
blanket, towel, sheet and pillow case
are issued to each man.
II noted that self-respect with many
men in jail is very pronounced, and
n fG str Terrrla n p
status, Offenses against property are
regarded with tolerance, and even con-
stdered praiseworthy, but social Of
fensesSare seldom cOndoned.
1.-The inmates will share a last
ecigaret, and a man can share smokes
and eats if he is liked even If he has
no money. A mans rap seldom stand
IN the way of his efforts TO make
friends. His rap is society's excuse
for OBTAINING him, but society means
very little to a man on the inside.
He isn't concerned with the past, but
with the present and future He
shapes his attitude by his immediate
contacts with society. He has no de-
sire to think why the bars are placed
between him and the street.
"A store is operated in connection
with the jail by someone who. has that
concession The prices are not pro-
hibitive but it seems to me in view
of the fact that the prisoners do all
the work that roll could be sold for
less than five cents and pie for less
than ten cents a CUT
Would Have Disliked Him.
Had Mr.. Anderson's feIIow-inmates
known that he was in Jail voluntarily
and that ION the outside" he was a
graduate student of the University of
Chicago, they would have misinterpre-
ted his motives and set upon him as
a stool pigeon, he said.
Had they decided was spotter,"
said Mr.. Anderson, lone of them
would have stepped on my toes and
my resentment would have been the
Kept my purposes a secret. was
forced to think fast and invent an ac-
ceptable story when on one occasion
l received a special visit in Jail.
You see, any kind of variation
from the old groove arouses discus
sion. One man, while in a drunken
frenzy, had shot his daughter He did |
not dare to talk about his case, so |
he told a man that he had tried to |
steal an elephant from the Lincoln |
park zoo. He says that for several |
days as he moved about the pull pen |
he was pointed out as the nut who |
tried to steal one of the Lincoln park |
elephants.
"I went to Jail. sentenced on a |
drunk and disorderly' charge, to dis
cover the spirit of the Jail, and I am i
satisfied that got what I went after. |
! expected a few hard knocks, and I |
got them. But the long waits for |
trial to which first offenders are COM |
monty subjected ought TO be elimi- |
mated; I am convinced they have
much to do with shaping the prison
ers attitude toward life"