Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-07
PRISONERS IN JAIL
HERE CROWDED LIKE
ANIMALS IN CELLS

continued from First PageD
into one small room On the day 81
the writer's trial and conviction there
were i25 men, white and colored
crowded together like cattle. On some
Gays there are less. On other days
there are as many as 200 and 25O
These men were TANNED with the
writer SO closely together for hours al
"A time that they had to struggle TO
move from one spot to another. ami
breathing was task in itself. The
air was rank. There was SneeZing.
coughing and splitting. The space con-
filming the men was small for half the
humber.
What brings about such a situation?
Official figures tell the story.
The number of prisoners sent to jail
this year will break all records, ac-
cording to statistics to date, and has
already topped last years figures by
20 per cent.
OF Che total number of prisoners
sent to ja.l since prohibition approxi-
mately As per cent have been SEN
fenced for intoXication. The number
of prisoners sent to Jail during the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1925, was
1851, an increase Of 1850 over the
preceding year. The increase for
1924 over 1928 was approximately
1000, and the increase of 1923 over
1922 about the same.
May Reach 1880 This Year.
For the first eight months of this
year, according to official figures, the
increase has been 20 per cent over
last years total Jail population. and
with the same ratio holding good this
years total of prisoners will be about
1850.
Prisoners sentenced for intoxication
have increased about 900 during the
last two years. and 400 for the two
years preceding.
AS usual" Maj. w. l.. Peaks an
nual report for the year ending June
80. 1924, stated, the greatest mum.
Der of commitments was for intoXica-
ton, the total being 1920, or 463 more
than for the previous II months"
In his report for the fiscal year
1925 Mai Peake noticed "a compare
lively enormous increase in the num-
Der of intoXication cases, the prison
ers for this offense reaching 4.72S, or
an increase of ,l0S over the year pre-
ceding."
There are three wings to the Jail
One wing is for woman prisoners,
another for more serious offenders
those indicted, awaiting trial. await
ing sentence or sentenced and await
ing transportation to the pcnitentiary)
There is no overcrowding in these
two WinGs-in fact. there are vacant
cells. But the shortterm prisoners
cannot be placed in the wing where
women are quartered, nor is It found
advisable to mix them with hardened
or long-term prisoners.
90 Per Cent Dry VioIators.
The north wing. or "Volstead
wing" therefore, takes care of the
majority of those sentenced to Jail,
and at the time of this writer's resi-
dence in Jail, 80 per cent of the pris-
oners in this wing were there for
violation Of the prohibition laws. This
is the wing where disgraceful condi-
tons exist. During this reporters
stay, there We're 20 more men
than there We're sleeping accommoda.
tionS.
The first two years after prohibition
brought such an influx of prisoners to
iail that 1t was necessary. about two
wears ago, to add an extra bunk to
every cell thus increasing the ca
pacity by 33is per cent. Each single
ell, originally designed for two oc.
cupants and having two hunks. now
has three. while each double cell.
originally designed for four occupants
ana equipped with four hunks, has
live hunks. This addition, according
TO Maj. Peak, brought temporary re-
lief. but the additional equipment has
been filled up by the increased number
Of occupants.
Because of the steadily increasing
number of prisoners. Mai. Peak Is
understood to have asked for a de-
ficiency appropriation of $1,000 to
cover absolute needs at the Jail What
is to happen If the increase in men
cent to Jail continues, however, is UNI
known.
New Wing Held Needed.
Maj. Peak is commended highly as
an efficient superintendent and is
known to have brought about changes
AZ the jail which have benefited the
prisoners. Conditions there. now.
however. can be remedied, II is held.
only by drastic action which may
eventually result in the erection of
another wing.
While the records show an approx
mate increase Of prisoners OF 1000
for each of the past two years. most
of this increase Is concentrated DUR
ing the Winter months. thus tending
to add to the congestion even more
during that time when 1t is most diff.
f1cult to keep the building aired and
sanitary.
Durlng the past week this reporter
talked to many men-carpenters,
bricklayers and others-whose work
was outdoors, who had money to pay
their fines, but who at this time of
wear found Il more economically ad.
vantageous to take their jail SEN
tence, since they could be earning
nothing during the Indictment wealth.
er. In good weather they would have
paid their fine and earned 1t back in
a day or two. Also there are itin-
Grant tramps who make a practice
of coming to Washington from North
ern climates just TO spend the Win.
fer in jail here. One man has come
from Seattle every year to Winter at
the expense Of the District govern
ment.
In 1855 Robert L. Lee was made
e ,,.ee.a n