The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-02-05
CONDITION OF COUNTY
JAILS
Nine Rated AS Very Bad In
Welfare Report

VI the rWenLy-rnree county Jana
inspectedaby the State Department of
Welfare in 1881, only one was rated
as excellent, while the conditions in
nine are Every bad"
In his seventh annual report to the
Governor, Stuart S. Janney, Director
of Welfare, rated the Baltimore
County Jail at Towson as 'excel-
lent" Those in Allegany, Anne
Arundel, Garrett and Prince Georges
were good, he said, and iails in
Frederick, Howard and Montgomery
were 'fair."
Mr.. Janney reported conditions in
the jails in Carroll, Dorchester,
Queen AIMS, st. Mary's, Somerset,
Worcester conunties were "bad, I"
and those in Calvert, Caroline, Cecil,
Charles, Hartford, Kent, Talbot,
Washington and Wicomico counties
were Every bad.
In some of the Every bad" jails, he
said, in the quarters reserved for
State prisoners, the abundance of
dirt prevalence of vermin, lack of
sanitary facilities and the absence
of the minimum of segregation which
is dictated by any consideration of
the decencies of living, make them
places of degradation comparable in
many instances to the deplorable
revelations of John Howard years
ago, and as such should not be toler-
ated today"
In Allegany, Anne Arundel Fred
erick, Garrett, Montgomery, Prince
Georges, and Washington counties,
the buildings are adequate in size and
structure, it was asserted. Charges
and alterations are needed in the iails
of Baltimore, Charles, Dorchester
Carroll Hartford and Queen Anne s
counties, while in all others the
conditions call for either extensive
remodeling or new jails, Mr.. Jenney
said.
Of the Hartford county Jail at Bel
Air, Mr.. Janney says: This Jail was
found to be in very bad condition.
The whole Jail was dirty, the plumb
ing out of order, bedding very much
soiled, and the windows and metal
work badly in need of repairs.
Evidence of good food, and of the
abstence of vermin or rats Tin spite
of the unsanitary physical conditions)
somewhat tighten the criticism OF
the jails.
The State Welfare Director pays
his respects to the Cecil County jail,
at Elkton, in the following manner:
In spite of the spasmodic efforts to
correct some of the many defects of
this Jail, / feel that it is one of the
five or six jails in the state which
should not be tolerated in this day
and age.
"A few new cots and mattresses
had recently been put in, since the
last inspection. One cell has been
fitted up with toilet for the use of
women prisoners.
'All the cells open on the central
hall where all the men are allowed
to congregate throughout the day.
The doors are double, with a solid
outside one and inside of this bar
red door. Some prisoners related
that recently women prisoner con-
fined in the cell referred to above
would systematically call some of
them to close her outside door when
there was need of privacy. More
need not be said of this, but to point
out that a condition exists here
which cannot be justified by those in
authority on any grounds. Decency
and justice to persons detained for
trial or serving sentence demands
that men and women prisoners be
separated so as not to have any
means of communication"
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