Evening star., 1936-12-08
Promises Early Conference
With Officials After Per-
sonaI Inspection.
DEPLORES CONDITIONS
AT ANCIENT INSTITUTION
Hazen Heartened as Attorney
General Recognizes Real Prob
lem to Be Corrected.
BY REX COLLIER.

planned today an early conference
with Cummings at the Justice De-
partment.
The Attorney General, impressed
by the manifest inadequacies" he saw
during q tour Of the 60-year-old in
stitution yesterday afternoon, an
he had agreed to proposal
Of Commissioner Melvin G. Hazen
for such q conference within a week"
Hazen made the suggestion as he
joined with other District officials in
escorting Cummings and q group Of
other Justice Department officials
about the Jail buildings and grounds.
Cummings DepIores Conditions.
Cummings. in q voluntary state
ment to reporters at the conclusion
Of his tour, deplored the overcrowded
conditions, antiquated buildings. lack
of facilities for outdoor exercise and
other factors which. he said, make up
q very real problem"
The Department Of Justice" he
pointed out, has no authority over
District penal institutions. I think
it would be improper for me at this
time to speak definitely or finally
with regard to my opinions regarding
this matter. What I could say would
be purely advisory.
Commissioner Hazen has suggested
that I confer with him later, and
I have agreed to do so. II we can be
Of any help, we will be glad to be Of
service.
This is an old institution, erected
in 1876. Naturally it has manifest
inadequacies which strike one at first
glance-old, outmoded buildings that
make administration difficult: too
much population, absence of outdoor
facilities for maintenance of health
of the prisoners and other things
obvious to any visitor.
Goes Beyond Money.
"These things present a very real
problem that goes back to questions
of money, Of appropriations, Of
whether the present institution can be
adapted to meet the needs or whether
new buildings should be erected.
Il will be very glad to be of any
help can to the District authorities
in studying these questions and find-
ing a solution to them"
Cummings paid a compliment to
Jail Supt. Thomas M. Rives on the
"cleanly conditions" which, he said.
showed the administration of the jail
has been painstaking" He thanked
the Commissioners for inviting him
to visit the jail.
Accompanying the Attorney Gem
eral were Sanford Bates, Federal di-
rector of prisons, Ugo Carusi and
Henry Suydam. aides to Cummings,
and Alexander Holtzoff, a Special as
sistant to the Attorney General. Suy-
dam and Hotlzoff had visited the jail
previously and reported their findings
unofficially to Cummings.
Welfare Officials in Party.
Representing the District, in addi-
tion to Hazen, were Frederick w. Nc
Reynolds, chairman: Judge M. M.
Doyle, vice chairman, and Elwood
Street, director Of the Board of Pub
lie Welfare, which has supervision
of penal institutions here, and Capt
M. M. Barnard general suerintendent
of penal institutions.
The Justice officials we're told by
Rives that the congestion reached its
peak in October, when 815 prisoners
were jammed into the establishment.
The average population in September
was 721 and in october IT'S, whereas
the Jail was designed to accommodate
500 persons. The population yes
terday was comparatively low, but
groups of prisoners arrived as the
officials made their tour, and Rives
predicted that some prisoners would
have to sleep on the floor last night.
Cummings seemed especially con-
cerned over the fact prisoners in the
north wing dining hall must eat in
the Districts electrocution "cham-
ber." He was shown the chair, in
an alcove at one end of the room,
to which it is moved after an electro
cution. The brass electrodes in the
dining room floor are in plain sight
Of the Jail diners.
Women's Quarters Crowded.
In the white womens dormitory he
saw IS women confined in q room
designed to take 19 cots. The cots are
made into "double-deckers" to meet
this situation.
In the mems "misdemeanor cell
block" he observed rows of cots placed
so close together prisoners cannot
stretch their arms without disturbing
their neighbors.
In the infirmary he learned there
are facilities for only is patients at
q time, with no x-ray equipment, no
isolation ward for contagious diseases
and no facilities for operations Of Sc
rious nature. Operation patients,
Rives explained, must be sent to an
unlocked ward at Gallinger Hospital
and the Jail has no extra guards to
send to the hospital to stand watch
over such patients.
Cummings, during . circuit OF the
grounds, commented that there
seemed to be room enough for an OUT
side exercise yard If proper fencing
were provided At present the prison.
ers are exercised by walking them
through dark corridors.
Supt. Rives told reporters ne has
recommended erection of an entirely
new jail plant in a different location.
McReynolds indicated the Commis-
sioners are reluctant to ask for SO
much money at one time and have
suggested as temporary compromise
enlargement of the old building.
It Is expected that Cummings. Bates
and Haven will discuss the various
proposals for remedying conditions at
the. forthcoming conference. with .
view to ascertaining how far the Az.
torney oensral should 60 IN rendering
support.