Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-10
Jew WING IN JAIL
LACKS EQUIPMENT
Failure 10 Appropriate Funds
May Delay Opening
Until December.

Lack of funds with which to buy
equipment for the new wing of the
District jail which will be completed
early in september, may prevent its
doors opening to receive prisoners
| until next December, it was learned
yesterday.
Approximately $4,000 is needed
for necessary equipment before any
of the cells can be occupied by the
260 men and women destined to he
short time" guests in, the new build
ing when it eventually opens. This
| sum was provided in the deficiency
appropriation bin which was killed
by the Senate filibuster in the last
to wait until Congress convenes in
December before funds for equipment
| can be appropriated.
Cost About S974,O00.
Built at cost Of approximately
S265,000 the new east wing of the
Jail was provided for after an in
Vestigator in the person of re
porter for The Evening Star told OF
his voluntary confinement there
huddled with other prisoners in an
insanitary, crowded cell in the north
wing Of the Jail The new structure
for which every other essential save
| equipment has been provided. matches
the brown stone Of the rest of the
Jail.
The heaviest expenditures for equip
ment will be S1.400 for 400 blankets
Two hundred and sixty cots will cost
about $1,000, and the same figure is
cited for the cost of mattresses. Five
hundred and twenty chairs will cost
81 ,040 and 1,040 sheets are sought 81
81 per sheet. With S516 for iniscel
laneouS items, the total of this section
of charges comes to S6,596 Then
when the wing is completed, there
will be sufficient room at the main Jail
building to provide an inf1rmary at
a cost of $90793. Salaries for the ad.
ditional personnel. including a senior
matrOn. two matrons and six guards.
make up the rest of the $4,000
needed =
Begun In October.
The building was started last Octo.
Der. The original date called for com
pletion by July q. but an extension
was granted to September II. The
actual contract cost Of the big three.
story wing will come to approximate ly
S265, 900 while architects fees, Incl
dental supplies and other items
amount to approximately So, 900 more.
Pete Martins Wing" as the add
ton is already unoff1cially named in
the cell tiers at the Jail. because OF
that alias being used by The Star re-
porter, will be modern from cellar to
roof. The brownstone OF the exte
rior, obtained from Minnesota. is such
a perfect match for the Maryland
stone of the old building that 1t is
hard to tell where the old structure
stops and the new one starts.
With the opening of the wing, the
operations at the Jail will undergo
revolutionary changes. An entire ice
plant will occupy the cellar. includ
ing four huge cooler chambers. with
coils for cold storage. and an icep pro
ducing plant and platform, sufficient
to care for the needs of the establish
ment. AT the easternmost cellar end
will be shops.
Separate Women's Quarters.
The women's quarters will be com,
pletely separated from the quarters
of the men at the extreme eastern
part of the building on the first. sec
ond and third floors. A special door
for entering and departing prisoners
has been provided.
This section Of the jail looks less
like a jail-except for the long tool
proof steel bars-than any structure
ever seen by Maj. Peak. The walls
are white plaster. Doors are painted
white. Ceilings are white.
There are shower baths, linen
closets and great, well lighted dormi.
tories. There will be no cells, except
three small punishment cells. The
prisoners will live in long dormitories
when they are not working or eating.
The dining room for women will be on
the first floor just east of the kitchen.
White prisoners will sleep on one of
the upper floors and colored prisoners
on the other upper floor. A solid wall
separates the women's quarters from
the mems, except on the first floor,
where the kitchen interposes a barrier
between the two sections.
Shower Each Evening.
The mems section is laid out IN
the same manner as the women's in
the new wing, except that there is
no plaster on the walls, which are
of brick and which will be painted
an ecru shade, with ceilings lighter
shade. There will be sufficient facili
| ties for a shower each evening for
| prisoners who so desire it. Special
| quarters are provided for guards and
other officers at the jail.
| The slate for the roof was al
| hoisted up last night and during the
| coming week will be put in place
The floors Of only the third story re
main to be laid. and by the time the
| kitchen apparatus and plumbing fix
| lures are installed and hooked up
| the building will await only the new
| appropriation for equipment to be
ready for occupancy.