Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-08
MRS. VAN Wrinkle
GIVES FUND DATA
Detention House Staff Only
ri for 3 Shifts, House
Members Told.

Replying to testimony given before
the Simmons subcommittee on appro-
priations Of the House appropriations
committee, to the effect that there are
80 employees in the Detention House to
take care of an average of seven priS-
oners q day, Lieut.. Nina c. Van Wrinkle,
in charge Of the Women's Bureau and
the Detention House, today presented
figures to Mai. Pratt. superintendent of
police, showing that her total staff at
the Detention House numbers 81, work.
ing on three shifts, and that during
october, November and December, 1929,
the average daily population at the De-
tention House was 81 persons.
Police Judges Criticized.
Judges of the Police Court have been
criticized as well as the justices of the
Supreme Court of the District during
the hearings on the District appropri-
alton bill before the subcommittee,
it was declared today Judges of
the Municipal Court have not been
subjected to the adverse criticism, but
the threat was made to reduce the SAL
aries Of the Police Court judges, now
$1,000, an dto raise the salaries Of the
Municipal Court judges, now $4,000, so
as to balance them. The presiding
Judge in each court receives $500 more
than the associate judges.
Jevenile Court judges were not SIM
ilarly criticized, according to reliable
reports from the hearings, which are
in executive session, but the intimation
is that the reason is because the. sub
committee had directed its fire princi-
pally against those courts which have
jury trials.
Lieut.. Van Wrinkles statement fol-
lows:
with reference to the newspaper
quotation of statements said to have
been made to Representative Simmons
with regard TO the House of Detention
that 80 persons are employed to take
care Of an average Of Z prisoners per
day-the following Is respectfully sub
mitted:
During October, November, Deem
Der, 1929, the average daily population
was 81.
This figure is arrived at by dividing
the total number of admissions for the
three months (670) by the number of
calendar days 1929 and multiplying by
the average stay per person (288 days.
1.-THE same figure is arrived at by d.
viding the total number of days spent
by the individuals in the house. e.,
1,925-by the number Of calendar days
in three months. e., 80.
There is no other way to arrive at
I'LL dNCLhSC .JJpulutAOh'
Others Require Care.
"In addition to this daily average,
| it Is pointed out that many of these
prisoners and dodgers have babies who
| require care-those have not been in
cluded in the above figures, but we sub
| NIT herewith such statistics on Sepa-
rate form.
1T is also pointed out that the total
| stan Is 81 perSonS-Some of whom, the
clerks, superintendent and janitor,
serve both the Woman's Bureau and
House Of Detention. It must be borne
in mind that by maintaining the two
organizations in one building economy
| results as otherwise 1t would be neces-
| sary to provide q clerical and cleaning
staff for both units.
| "Furthermore-to maintain 24-hour
| service requires three shifts of work.
ers-and bearing in mind that the
clerks, cook, laundress and janitor work
| only one of these shifts Except when
| called on for overtime service), and
that the resident employees are of duty
during the night-at the very most
| during the day, counting clerical staff
cook and laundreSs and janitor), there
! are never more than six persons for
| the actual care of the prisoners during
| the am. to pm. shift-and from
4 to IL pm. and midnight to 8 am.
! never more than three on duty at any
one time. When there is illness or
annual leave to be taken into consid-
| Grafton, these numbers are leSSened.
I'm other words, If the total staff of
| 81 were divided into three shifts there
could not possibly be more than on
| duty at one time, and by eliminating
those persons who do clerical clean
ing cooking and laundry work, 1t is
obvious that there can never be more
] than three or four persons to serve for
the transporting, admitting, searching
and guarding Of the inmates.
Respectfully submitted,
| NINA c. VAN WRINKLE,
Lieutenant in Charge Woman's
Bureau and House of Detention"