The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-16
K|[RY CONDEMNS
EFFORT TO ENACT
OLD FEEDING LAW.
Governor Appeals to Legisla-
ture Not to Allow Sheriffs to
a Profit at Expense of
Prisoners
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU |
THE AGE-HERALD
Montgomery. Ala. Jan. is 4

One of the last official acts OF
Governor Kilby before he surrendered
his office to Governor Brandon at
noon Monday was the sending of
special message to the legislature in
which he appealed to 1t not to aban-
don the system which requires
sheriffs to expend the state appro-
priatfon for feeding prisoners in the
purchase of food. He called atten-
ton to the meeting of the sheriffs-
elect here recently and their pro-
posal for the repeal of the feeding
law ard the enactment of the old
law which gave them certain fees for
feeding prisoners and provided no re-
strictions.
II hope this matter will receive
your most earnest and careful con-
sideration. said Governor Kilbys
message. IT cannot conceive Of your
abandoning system which protects
the lives and health of the prisoners
and conserves the funds Of the state
and returning to system that
threatens their lives and destroys
their health. II the sheriffs are not
adequately paid for their services let
them be paid more out of the public
funds, not out of the dinner pals of
the prisoners who are helpless in
their keeping.
Quotes sherifrs Letter
Governor Kilby, In his message,
quoted a letter sent by the sheriff
of Pike county to the sheriff of an
other county prior to the meeting in
Montgomery. This letter said the
sheriffs should meet for the purpose,
among other things, of bringing
pressure to bear upon the incoming
administration to make settlements
and payment of the past due bills of
the outgoing sheriffs, as we'll as
making provision for the protection
OF the new incoming sheriffs."
The bills referred to in the letter
were held up by Governor Kilby be-
cause of the failure of the sheriffs
to render statements showing the
food purchased and showing that all
money represented by their state
ments had been used in the purchase
of food for the prisoners.
Governor Kilby's message to the
legislature regarding the sheriffs'
feed bills follows:
ITO the Legislature of Alabama:
IL am writing you this to suggest
that we get together and haveSa call
for all of the outgoing and incoming
sheriffs of the state to meet in Mont
gomery at an early date, for the pur-
pose of discussing. these matters, and
also for the purpose of new legisla>
ton and bringing pressure to bear
upon the incoming administration to
make settlements and payment of the
past due bills of the outgoing sherffs
as we'll as making provision for the
protection of the new incoming
sheriffs. Please let me hear from
you as to what you = think of my
plan. -
The above is quoted from letter
& which Is in my possession, signed
by the sheriff of Pike county and ad
dressed to the sheriff of another
county and dated January 4, 1928.
Refers to Old System
This letter was written subse-
quent to a meeting of sheriffs- elect
held in Montgomery recently. which
was given much publicity 1t is OBJ
vious that concerted effort Is being
planned for forcing, by the use of
pressure the prisoners in the coun-
ty JallS TO ulVlue Inelr rdllOub Win
their keepers, the sheriffs.
Prior to 1919 sheriffs were paid
certain fees for feeding prisoners,
ranging from 60 cents a day down to
80 cents, based on the number of
prisoners. No restrictions whatever
were placed about 1.-THE feeding of
prisoners. The sheriffs could invest
less than 10 cents day in the food
fer each prisoner and collect the full
amount permitted by law. the profit
going to themselves.
1T is notorious fact that many
sheriffs made huge profits from the
feeding of prisoners and that in many
instances prisoners were unable to
obtain sufficient food to relieve their
hunger.
THE Legislature of 1920 enacted a
law giving the prison inspection de-
partment authority to supervise the
feeding of prisoners and requiring
the sheriffs to expend the full amount
allowed by law for food. This law
provides the same amounts for the
Feeding of prisoners but requires the
sheriff to expend every penny In
feeding prisoners and does not per-