The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-19

oeeh washed mat day for the i.
time in a week, could obyiorsg,.l e
suit only. in denial by the o5s {.
and hard treatment for tbo St l
-tunate who protested. The IN ali'-'
know this, and they do no. n ~
! plain on such occasions GO
When DR.. budding point.s
conditions in one jail in ~. q
state, his accusations aronss 80
! county to action. A grand IN g
came to Washington To tsis 'saa
the situation. Go out thers ~
see for yourself" budding IA d Saai
But when you go, insist on ~. ~ =
hciais staying out and letins y, y,
go in alone. The men will tbasa w y
you exactly what have, and ~
you proof" -' aa0
Dirty bedding. dirty clotbipy
ventilation, rats. vermin. an5 ~. "a.
food sound like mediayaI -, ~
conditions, but they are not ~ s' .s5 !
! evil, DR.. budding explains. - -oo'
part of jail discomfort is attt - . I
ed by him and by others aco ',.g-. p
ed with the situation to tba ~
, system. s 'si
The Fee System.
The fee system works th,.
for every inmate in a Jail tbs :.
er receives from the cOuDtv t. -
ury sum for food and such cle1
ing and necessities as nav he IN
ed for. 1t may be said. rougblv /.
average so cents a dav per 5e,s.
The jailer is generally paid s9.a
salary, and if anything can be sag.tK
out of the expenses OF the prisn5s.
he can pocket it.
Thus, if he can feed his boara.-
on beans, bacon and potatoes 4.
II cents day and save more tn.
30 cents a head, he sometimes m
cumbs to the temptation of maEls,s
this much profit. regardless Of h.
health of the men who are denasl
ent on him. This profit. wbsteT..
it is. the jailer may divide with +
sheriff who gave him his polite
appointment.
Dr. budding says that via, (
crime is dull. and a Jail is emB-
it is not an unknown Drartira 4.
sheriff to speak to spetial dptst
tives on the railroads about h
hard times. If the detectives q,
amenable to the suggestion. tsl
VIII take extra trouble to hunt
all the hObOes they can find for
few days and send them to FIN
the jail. Each bOarder at the 4
stitutiOn means, of course. 20 caBsf
a day, or whatever can be save
out of the expense money, 70 me
iailer.
Politics, too, play a part in h
administration. The sheriff II
elected. He appoints a county jaf-
er, and as is always true where Do
litical appointments are made
sometimes a man is selected who &
not known for executive ability c.
honesty. So graft sometimes creep
in.
Personal belongings Of prisosen
such as watches, knives, and vail
let's, are taken from them whEs
they wear Jail clothing. We afei
told that in some places the jailer-
does not consider it necessary %
return these articles when the mar
is released. One prisoner who va
transferred TO d peniteRtiary wa
refused $12 left in his pocket Whel
he entered Jail to await trial. The
prisoner was helpless. The supe,
intendent Of the penitentiary Learn
ed of the instance, however. anl
wrote a letter which brought be I
Sl2 by return mail.
So long as the fee system and pol.
itics are associated with our 10.
county jails. the sital
ton cannot he much improved. Dr.
budding believes. Here and tbsf5
where Investigations are held Q.
officials are honest and take a per
sOnal interest in the welfare O.
their charges. there are jails wbic-
are fit for human beings to Live
in"
The remedy. according to Dr.
budding, is to make Jail Officials
civil service appnlutees. He thinks
that if the federal government Wefl
to supervise these institutions and
inspect them vigorously once q
conditions would be bOuli
to improve
The next best thing would be
state control Of the county institu-
lions for prisoners. This would be
EASIER TO bring about than fedora.
control. DR.. budding also thinks
that by limiting Jail officials 70
liked salaries, of reasonable size
and BY having a strict system Of (.
accounts and supervision. our F
medieval jGiIs could be made c5l'
siderabiy more u1 TO date.