New Britain herald., 1930-04-26
by DON A. HIGGINS


 Kansas City. Mo, April a6 (UP) In five big prisons of the south west, holding more than 1000 , men, officials of two admit fire hazards exist, three of them have been marked by riots in the past year, and all harbor more men than the number Tor which they were built.
 These conditions were revealed yesterday in survey by the United Press covering Leavenworth federal penitentiary and the state prisons ot Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma ant Texas.
 Most Of them accept the dangers O. mutiny as prevailing in current over-crowded quarters which in some instances placed prisoners in cots in corridors-but three of them minimized chances for tragic fires such as that at the Ohio prison iu Columbus.
 The two prisons apprehensive of fire, in addition to riots, are the big penitentiaries at Jefferson City, Mo, and at Huntsville, Tex. . Indicates Hazards
 By coincidence, fire hazards sail to exist in three factory buildings at Jefferson City were pointed out by ' P. E. Thomas, warden of the Co., lumbus, O., pententiary, when he assisted a state survey commission which defined the Missouri situatoia as "the worst in the country" Jef- ferson Cit. cell blocks, however, were reported fire proof in most in . stances.
 After the Columbus fire. Warden Leslie Rudolph at Jefferson City, al ready herding a host of prisoners . inflamed by recent rioting. announc- eG precaution would be exercised to prevent any such plots' of incen- diarism. He proposed to observe closely and possibly segrcgat9 prisoners serving terms for arson. At Huntsville, Tex, Warden E. F. Q Harrell singled out a cell block. holding 750 men in triple deck rows of cells under a wooden attic and bebind old-fashioncd locks, and an- nounced there is plenty of danger" " Governor Dan Moody said a general 9 fire at Huntsville would result in : turning all prisoners loose or let . ting them burn alive.
 s Leayenworth federal penitentiary, D together with Lansing Kansas state prison and Oklahoma state peniten- 1. tiary at McAlester minimized fire |. dangers.
 5 Presents Problem All Of these penal colonies in the T opinion of prison experts present an s alarming problem of what to do . with prison populations. Each OK :. ceeds the approved population fig F ure of 1,500 inmates per prison as . laid down in an exhaustive survey of the Missouri penitentiary.
 The situations in a nutshell are:
 Jefferson City - 4,122 inmates, largest in history; built for e,500. , Riots over food and working condi- e lions occurred March o6 and cT, 1880. Commission reported idle nes, immortality and insanitation 1, difficult to control" State seeks to build intermediate reformatory and other buildings.
 |. Leavenworth-S.416 inmates, built - for 1,640. Still crowded despite talk ing over adjacent military disciplin. = ary barracks. Riots over food oc- cured last August 1.
 ~ Huntsville-5,500 inmates, built for 5000. Warden refused to accept any more except in emergency. <. Lansing 1,796 convicts, - Situation not critical but experience ed severe riot last summer when in mates demanded better working e hours in coal mine, a possible fire = trap.
 McAlester-3,00 poo inmates, butt . for 2,S00. Not seriously oVcrcroW l. - ed. Fire proof.