Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-07
Dry Arrests So Increased
That Quarters Are Far
0vertaxed-FIoors Cover
ed With Refuse and Filth.
PETTY GRAFT PRACTICE
is PERMITTED IN OPEN
New Wing to Building Is Regard
ed as Only Solution to Deplor-
able Situation That Is Beyond
Officials Power to Remedy, Star
Reporter Discovers.

Officials Power to Remedy, Sta1
Reporter Discovers.
Arrests and convictions for viola
tion OF the prohibition laws have
increased so rapidly in recent years
that the District jail, taxed far be-
yond its original capacity. is forced
n take care OF its short term pris-
oners by crowding them into cells
where they live penned up like
animals for days at time without
exercise and sleep at night on dirty,
straw-tilcd pallets thrown on a floor
Uttered with filth and refuse.
Facilities ior taking care OF these
men at police court. even before they
reach the Jail are SO limited that on
"A crowded day men awaiting trial
stand huddled together in a Jammed
room for hours at a time. packed
like sheep and with standing room at
such a premium that any movement
becomes problem.
These facts. and many others re
lating conditions at Police Court
and at the District Jail. are revealed
TODAY after an investigation by a
member of The Star staff who. con-
Ccalng his identity, deliberately
underwent arrest. conviction and
served part OF a sentence in jail to
get his facts first hand.
Problem Beyond Officials.
'"rhe way Of the transgressor is
hard" and in pointing out conditions
as they exist today, no attempt Is
made to foster false sentime ntality
which would make of prison life
bed of roses. Nor did the writer find
that all bad conditions were due to
laxity or inetficiencN on the part of
officials 1t WAS evident from first
to last that the situation today re-
suits from an alarming increase in
the number of men sent to jail. while
no proportionate enlargement has
been made i'm the facilities for caring
for them.
During his stay at the District Jail.
The Star reporter found petty graft
among the prisoners practiSed openly
and apparently without hindrance
on the part of the officials there.
On their way to meals prisoners
are offered sugar for sale at the rate
NJ cents bag. the bag being an old
tobacco sack At the rate it is sold.
sugar at the jail costs prisoners about
so cents a pound.
Old rags are offered for rent
to prisoners for towels at the rate OF
cents each. and sometimes rerented
while they still are damp.
Cigarette Cost High.
Colored boys are allowed to buy
cigarettes wholesale and sell them 10
the prisoners at the rate Of four for
) cents.
Tobacco ard confections. such as
sweets and pies, are sold the prison
ers At rates above those dema nded
on the outside"
The writer served part Of his sen
tence in 4 coll about 7X5 feet. Ad
joining this cell was a smaller and
darker room used for a lavatory.
There were two hunks in this cell
and one IN the lavatory. There were
seven inmates Three of them, there
fore, slept on the hunks. four on
straw filled ticks on the floor-four
lavatorY. The cell was originally de-
signed TO accommodate two men.
In other cells of the same size there
we're six. seven. eight and even nine
men.
These cells are cleaned about 4:30
o'clock in the morning. The clea ming
process consists in sweeping them and
mUpping the floors with kerosene
For about II hours thereafter. on
throughout the day and evening.
seven men We're cooped together in
the writer's cell. All had colds and
coughs. Most Of them were splitting
continually y-on the floor. Some were
chewing tobacco steadily All We're
smoking. Dirt accumulated, refuse
gathered. BY night the cell floor was
a layer of muck and slime. In this
NTH the men lay huddled together.
snoring into each others faces.
Repairs Neglected.
Painting and repairs Of all sorts
nave been neglected at the jail and
UNIFORMS for the prisoners aba ndoned
and many incidentals done away with
atosether because the increased
number Of prisoners has necessitated
the stretching of available appropri.
ations TO cover bare necessities. Ac
cofolng 10 the officials themselves
food has been the only thing kept at
normal and decent standards. The
writer found the food poor. but not
TO such an extent as to warrant
criticism, for Jail is u poor place to
satisfy the tastes of an epicure.
Prisoners are leading an existence
which makes them lit subjects 10
attack by all the diseases listed in a
medical dictionary. There are too
many of them for which to provide
work. officials state; therefore their
exercise consists in marching to
three meals each day. The work that
IS to be done is spread among Volun.
teers from the prisoners and given
to the TRUSTEES.
In the cell with the writer there
were men who had not been outside
its steel walls, except to go to meals.
for eight days. They lived in fetid
air during the day and slept in filth
at night.
The same conditions which brought
n about an overcrowdinE at the District
iail have resulted similarly al Police
court When prisoners are awaiting
pnliCA Court theN crowded