Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-02

keeping with modern prisons. This
grand jury. therefore. recommends the
entire rebuilding Of these two sections.
designed to relieve the present objec-
tional conditions.
IF. and when. this work is under
taken, due consideration should be given
10 providing a mess hall for the prison.
ers confined in the north and south
wings. An inprovised dining room, 10
Gated in one of the long. below-fioor-
level corridors is now being used This
arrangement is crude and unsightly,
detrimental 70 healthful, safe and con-
venient operation, and should be cor
rected.
Also provision should be made for a
chapel of ample size III order TO dis
continue the present practice OF holding
religious services on the floor of the
rotunda, which is entirely unSuited for
the purpose.
Likewise. new hospital ward is
badly needed to replace the present In
Urinary. which latter. while recently
installed and seemingly well equipped.
does not meet the requirements. due 10
the fact that the rooms are few III
number, very small, and have extremely
low ceilings.
Urge Fumigating Plant.
Another and highly essential i'm
provement and enc that should be con-
Sldered without delay, is the inStalla-
ton OF a modern fumigating and de-
louSing plant, The method now fol-
lowed III performing this necessary
work Is obsolete. and this grand jury is
informed. even where care is exercised.
often results in temporary Illness of the
prisoners.
Possibly at no major prison in the
country where executions take place by
electrocution AaS, apparently. 50 little
study and thought been given 70 che
requirements IL connection there
impression gathered by this grand
jury is that the law was passed. u
portable electric chair furnished and the
local management left 10 deal with the
situation as best they could With she
means az hand. MakeShift about de-
ScribeS the result II capital punish
ment is 60 be continued in the District
of Columbia. this grand Jury recon-
mendS that an adequate and properly
located death chamber. with other
necessary and improved facilities, be
provided,
The Reformatory Lorton. Va. WAS
found III excellent condition. The ma
iority of the buildings are Of recent
construction and Well kept, The present
equipment is new and ample 90 meet
the immediate needs with one eXeep-
tion-~-that Of q laundry. The laundry
work is now performed by hand. and
this grand jury can not conceive OF an
institution of this character and size
being denied SO important and essential
facility il is recommended that
laundry OF late design and Of Sutflciene
capacity be installed to replace the
crude and slow method now necessarily
employed
The workhouSe, Occoquan, Va. for
an institution ef that nature. was also
found III firSt-eiaSS condition Brick
buildings. with one or two exceptions.
have Supplanted the old wooden Strslc-
lures and those af the latter type Still
remaining are included IN the present
building program,
Capt. NJ NJ Barnard In charge of
all three of these institutions. and his
AeutenantS, Supt, William L. Peak, Dis
trict jail; Supt. A, G., TawSe. reforma-
tory Lorton, and Sups. Julian Sehoen.
wor&houSe, OeeoQ1an, are 60 b con-
mended for their untiring efforts
1T Is the belief OF this grand tury
that, II given the proper financial ANA
moral support. they will hring these
institutions TO a standard UNSURPASSED
by amy that serve lke purpose,