Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-17

repaired and cleaned by prison labor,
so that prisoners may leave the In
stitution more respectable than when
they arrive.
"A better system OF cleaning
blankets and arrangements for car
ing for prisoners clothes depends In
part on two things: Cd Making the
workrooms In the basement OF the
women's wing accessible from the
women's wing: and (2), building a
! laundry for Gallinger Hospital, which
will relieve the Jail laundry Of ap-
proximately 80 per cent of its work.
Construction of the laundry for CAL
linger Is now under way, and will be
ready for use, according to present
plans, during the fiscal year 1888
This will release both space and
equipment for taking care of blan-
kets and clothes. Additional space
may be found Immediately, however.
in the workrooms in the basement of
the women's wing. According to the
plans now under consideration, &C
cess to these rooms Is only possible
from outside the Jail; this leaves the
women's wing with no workrooms OF
any sort except the dormitorleS.
However, these basement rooms are
so located that an extension of the
stairway from the first floor to the
basement Is entirely feasible. The
director of public, welfare and the
superintendent of prisons have APP
proved the extension Of this stair
way by the use of prison labor as
soon as the present contract Is
completed.
Such new workrooms for women
will release workrooms in the base
ment Of the west wing for the care of
blankets and prisoners clothes, and
enable officials at the Jail to develop
an adequate system of fumigation.
delousing, cleaning aand repairing of
both.
The Jail Laundry.
THE construction of the laundry for
Gallinger will greatly relieve a pres
ent problem, viz. the working of men
and women prisoners for long hours
daily in the jail laundry, now situated
in the basement and sub.basement un.
der the rotunda. Due to inadequate
ventilation and the excessive heat
generated by the laundry equipment.
work in these rooms is at times al
most beyond human endurance. A
ventilating system installed in the
Summer of 1926 was reported out OF
order for the greater part of the past
year. When the attention of the
municipal architects office, which had
supervised the installation of the sys-
tenn, was called to the condition by
representative of the Bureau OF Eff
cheney. the mater was at once taken
up with those responsible for the con-
struction and action instituted look
ing toward the efficient operation of
the system.
inspection Of the Jail on July Z.
1927. in company with a representa-
tive of the municipal architects Of
fee. showed a distinct improvement
In ventilation. Each cell has a cross
draft and as the outer windows were
opened as far as possible the air cur.
rent was cool and fresh, not only In
the corridors. but also in the cells. 1t
Is evident that the problem of ventila-
ton in the old cell blocks is one of
proper Winter ventilation. Since the
only source Of fresh air comes direct
ly from the windows, 1t is difficult to
adjust these in cold weather SO that
the air is both fresh and warm. This
Is a problem which the municipal
architects office can help solve, and
1t Is recommended that they be asked
to study the question and submit
their suggestions"