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


THE women were housed in tenn.
porary quarters assigned to them in
the west wing. Each colored prisoner
had a cot in a dormitory and each
white prisoner cell.
THE men were separated into two
groups-in the south wing prisoners
held for the grand jury and men SEN
fenced from the Criminal Court for
major offenSes; and in the north wing
prisoners held for further hearing
and men sentenced from the Police
Court for minor offenses. In the
south wing five cell units were re-
served for five condemned men and
two cell units for punishment, leaving
81 cell units to house approximately
10 men. In the north wing 2l2 men
| were crowded into "a cell units; some
slept on mattresses laid on the floor.
1T Is obvious that relief from this
overcrowding is essential II any rem
edy is to be found for conditions at
the jail. The completion of the new
east wing next Fall will help, but If
the present population is maintained
1t will serve only to alleviate and not
| to overcome the congested conditions
now existing.
THE new east wing will accommo.
in three dormitories of 20 women
each. The two mems dormitories in
the new wing. 1t is estimated, can &C.
commodate 200 men-100 white and
100 colored. With the population as
or June Is. II each male prisoner held
Tor the grand jury or sentenced from
the Criminal Court were given a sep.
arate unit cell, as he should be, there
would be only 1913 cells to accommo.
date TIA men; and If all the men held
for further hearing and sentenced
from the Police Court were put in the
new wing, since two-thirds of these
prisoners are colored, there would be
approximately II in the white dornni.
tory and 141 in the colored dormitory.
or Al more than could be accommo.
dated. 1t Is evident that plan must
De developed for reducing the popula.
ton at the Jail. or the old wings must
be reconstructed, or both.
Transfer to Occoquan.
plans for reducing the nonu,ation
at the Jail were proposed by the Penal
commission in 1909. According to
their report, which was adopted as
the basis for the development of the
penal system of the District of Column.
bia, the jail is to be used only as a
house OF detention, never as a place
or confinement for those under sen.
tence.' and sufficient quarters were to
be built at Occoquan to care for short.
term prisoners. Up to the present.
many short-term prisoners, i.e., those
serving 80 days or less, have been con.
fined in the jail, due to lack Of faciii.
ties at the workhouse. Construction
on the new buildings at the work
house, however. has progressed suf.
flciently to eliminate this necessity
now.
ION May 6. 1927, there were 4s0 men
and approximately so women con.
fined in the workhouse. The present
capacity of the workhouse is between
700 and 500 men and 100 women;
three new dormitories can house be-
tween 375 and $50 men. two old dormi-
tories, between ESQ and 275 men, and
what remains of third old dormi-
tory. from IS to 100 men. The wom-
ems building will accommodate about
100 prisoners. In other words, the
workhouse can comfortably accommo-
date at least ESQ more men and so
more women.
when these facts were brought to
the attention Of the director of public
welfare early in May. 1927, by a repre-.
sentative of the Bureau of Efficiency,
he presented the matter to the COM
mittee on penal and correctional insti.
tutions of the Board of Public Welfare.
and they approved the plan to remove
as many short-term men as possible
from the Jail to the workhouse. BY
June Is, 1927, however, the number
of short-term men at the Jail had in
creased to 1S1 as shown above. The
question. having been again taken up
with the director Of public welfare.
was presented 10 the Board of Public
Welfare at its meeting on June Is.
1927. and the following minute
recorded:
1.-The director reported that the con-
struction of buildings at the work.
house ut Cccoquan had now progressed
to the point where the institution was