Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-11-24
COUNTY JAIL EVILS
j, s. AGCRAvATES
LOCAL CONDITIONS

PenODSCOC SOuIty jail a. ASA'
Me-, is one of the few in the United
States to overcome one of the worst
evils of city and county jails-en-
forced idleness of prisoners-ac-
cording to u report submitted this
month to the American Prison AS
sociation by DIR. Hastings FL. Hart or
the Russell Sage, Foundation, New
York City, as Chairman OF the PRISON
Associations Special Committee on
Municipal and County Jalls, Whicn
reveals the unsanitary, immoral, ana
inhuman conditions created by the
over crowding Of city and county
tails with boardedout federal
prisoners.
Penobscot County Jail. it is pointed
out by DR.. Hart, unlike most JAMS
where prisoners are kept in absolute
idleness, provides simple forms OF
labor for sentenced prisoners ana
has given to prisoners awaiting trlal
the privilege of working. and most OF
the prisoners have been glad to aVall
themselves of that privilege. AT
Tombs Prison and the Raymond
Street Jail in New York City, as well
as in a good many others, prisoners
do not do even the domestic work but
sentenced pIlSOilelo Iioi'i
warehouses; are brought in.
DIR. Harris report, which reveais
that Uncie Sam is using approx
matelv 900 city and county jails
throughout the country for the
boarding out of federal prisoners
without paying one cent of rent Tor
the tails, shows that jails in Maine
are being used in this way.
Croya ipiuStice to taxpayers
throughout the United States Is
caused by the present system OF
boarding out federal prisoners. Inc
General Government boards us
prisoners in about one-third 'of the
county tails and warehouses; of the
country, occupying perhaps one-third
of their space. These prisons rep
resent an investment of probably not
less than $45,000,000, of which the
United States uses at least Slo,000,-
600 worth, on which fair annual
rental would be not less than six per-
cent or 100000. No rental what
ever is paid for this property. In at
least half of the counties the amount
paid is less than the actual cost OF
the proper care of prisoners for FOOD,
guards, bedding, furniture, heating,
lighting, and laundry work, so that
the counties are making an actual
cash donation to the General Govern
ment. But two-thirds of the coun-
ties are entirely free from this ma
tional burden.
Not only is this burden borne by
one third of the counties, but 1t Is
borne chiefly by states which nave
less than the average buildings ana
resources to carry it. The states on
ND
receive a disproportionate number OF
prisoners because many offenses
against the Volstead Act, the Drug
Act and the immigration Laws are
committed within their boundaries,
The average number of u. s.
prisoners per Jail in these border
states is so per cent greater than the
general average throughout the
country, and in seven border states
Oregon, Arizona, New Hampshire,
Wisconsin, Texas, New York ana
Washington-the average number is
twice as great as in the country at
large. Since most of the 1ails In
these border states are small, the
resulting congestion is extremely
serious.
The report points out that the lack
of any detailed information regard
ing these federal prisoners, even in
the offices of the responsible depart
ments of the federal government,
adds to the difficulty by remedying
the abominable conditions in many
of the jails in which they are board
ed. During the committees study or
conditions, DR.. Hart, chairman or the
committee, could find no one VINO
knew how many United States
prisoners We're kept in Jalls, now
many jailS were used, how much was
expended for their care in different
states, what kind of discipline was
maintained, or what kind of medical
service was rendered.
Nearly two million dollars was
spent in 1924 for the support of these
boarded -out prisoners. but DR.. Hart
could find no statistics whatever as
to the number and location of prison.
ers. Inspectors are employed by the
Department of Prisons whose duty
it is to make regular inspections of
jails in which federal prisoners are
boarded. but no published statement
with reference to their work could
be found.
The absence of this important and
almost essential detailed information
is due to the fact that the Superin-
tendent of Prisons has no clerical
force to digest and tabulate the facts
which are included in vouchers filed by
United States marshals. These Vouch-
ers are elaborate and comprehensive,
showing for each district the number
and sex of prisoners on hand at the
beginning and end of the quarter, the
number received and discharged,
whether they are awaiting trial or
serving sentence, the number of days
board furnished, the rate and amount
paid. etc. The vouchers go through
the Department of Justice for audit
ing, and certain facts are drawn off;
General of the United States for fur
Their audit, and are buried in the files
of that office, from which 1t is practi
cally impossible to unearth them.
1t is a public misfortune, according
to the committees report, that the So
cial information contained in these
vouchers cannot be reduced to iptelli-
gible form for the information of the
Department of Justice, the Congress
and the people of the United States.
DR.. Hart, with the aid of number of
clerks, was able to tabulate this infor-
nation for one quarter. He found
that 1900 prisoners were boarded out
in city and county jails on September
80, 1924, and that approximately co.
GOO prisoners had been committed dur
Ing the year. There seemed to be no
nXed standard of payment for their
maintenance, and in 1924 no less than
AZ different prices were paid. The