Evening star., 1928-05-06
sers Become Criminals in als Used for u S. Prisoners

or defective plastering, and the whole
surface IS whitewashed. Such wall
cannot be kept clean and affords an
impregnable refuge for vermtn. The
cells vary in size from 3 by feet TO
s by feet, with a height of from to
0 feet. Such cells ought not to be oc-
cupisd by more than one man, but 1t Is
the general practice TO place two in a
cell, with iron hunks or canvas ham
nlocks. Sometimes thin mattresses and
pillows are provided, but without sheets
or pillow cases, no other bedding except
blankets being furnished. Under such
circumstances the mattresses soon be-
come filthy and verrnin infested. In
very few jails are towels provided.
In most Jails shower baths are pro-
vided; but often the supply Of water Is
scanty or unheated. For example, in
the Ton1bs Prison in New York there Is
a shower bath at the end Of each long
corridor, but it is separated from the
open corridor only by an open s-eel
grating. which gives no privacy and ex-
poses the batner to cold drafts in the
Winter
An officer o. the Moyamensing Jail IN
Philadelphia told me that incoming
prisoners were not required 70 bathe on
admission and that sheets and pillow
cases we're given only to prisoners who
stayed longer Jn3n 50 GAYS.
1t is remarkable that penologists gen.
orally have failed to take cognizance Of
the fact that the county and municipal
jails are the most important prisons In
the land. First, because in them the
young criminal who has previously es-
capped the consequences Of vrongdolnz
gets his first prison experience: second,
because they deal with five times as
many prisoners as the Federal and
State prisons and reformatories: third.
/ because, as every intelligent student Of
this question knows and agrees, the jails
Of the United States almost without ex-
ceptiOn. are actual schools of vice and
crime where Young and inexperienced
criminals are forced into intimate assc-
cl2ticn with the most depraved and
vicious criminals who. being kept in
I idleness. have rothing better to do than
/ TO instruct these youngsters in criminal
arts
/ Il Is 2 notorious fact that many
! crimes are planned In jails and that
likely youngsters are made Use Of by
/ experienced crooks IN their plans.
/ The national Government and State
/ governments are spending millions Of
/ dollars. not only for the building o;
great penitentiaries. but for the carry
ing out Of elaborate reformatory pro-
grams for young prisoners who have al
ready become confirmed criminals
Many counties are spending large
SUITS for the erection of architectural
monstrositie5 that will become county
/ jaIs. In Los Angeles County. Calf.
there has recently been built Hall Of
Justice" covering an entire city block
and costing $1,000, 900. of which about
/ S2.500000 went into the jail section.
The chairman Of the building commit
tee told me, With great pride. Biggest
jail IN the world, sir! Biggest jail IN the
world! Sixteen hundred prisoners! Yes.
sir! and / haven't any doubt-wonder-
ful growth and development Of this
/ city-vitt11n 10 years well have 20
duplicate it,
How did they provide for 1900 pris-
oners? There were 800 cells, and every
cell was to hold two prisoners-con-
victed and unconvicted, sane or insane,
I sick or well. including witnesses accused
/ of no crime
/ But not county in so is willing 70
spend dollar to promote any intelli-
! gent refornatory program for its pris-
+ oners at the most hopeful point IN their
criminal career
+ Here and there one finds a sheriff or
jailer who is working tntelligentiy for
the improvement Of the prisoners under
/ his charge. Examples are the wardenS
/ of the Charles Street jail In Boston, the
/ Raymond Street Jail IN Brooklyn. the
/ Montgomery County Jail in MorriStovn,
Pa; the Cook County Jail IN CHICAGO
and the Municipal Jail in St. Louis
/ But scarcely one of these men has the
stad or the equipment TO carry cut a
refcrmatorv program.