Evening star., 1938-08-25
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.

"i sehleuG ana remodellng OF the
District Jail, long the object of criti-
csm because Of the overcrowdin9 OF
prisoners in the cell blocks, will be
mace possible under loan and grant
OF 81 100000, which the Public Works
Administration approved today.
Elated over the prospects, Ray L.
Hun. general superintendent of tn.
Districts penal institutions. said the
expenditure will provide substantially
a new Jail on the present site. Equally
important, he said the four new cell
docks planned as part Of the i'm.
provements will make it possible to
PROVIDE a separate cell for each pris-
oner. Even in midsummer the pres
ent cells are badly overcrowded.
In addition to these four cell blocks.
which will enlarge the capacity of the
District Jail to a maximum OF os6
prisoners, present plans call for two
new connecting wings and the con-
struction OF a new power house and
laundry.
To Remodel Old Wings.
The two existing wings Of the old
building, built around 1873, will be
completely remodeled inside and re.
rooied through the expenditure of
P. W. A. funds. Mr.. Hun was confident
that the new construction will pro-
vide for the needs of the Jail for some
time to come.
Todays allotment was the second
project for the District approved dur.
ing the absence Of Administrator Ickes,
It brings to q total OF t7,831, 900 the
amount obtained to date for long.
needed municipal improvements pre-
vtously ignored by Congress.
Meanwhile. it was learned, several
other District projects are moving
along and may be approved soon, as
predicted In The Star last week. These
include $500. 900 for 2o0-bed addition
to the Glenn Dale tuberculosis Hos
pital. an advance to start the Municipal
Center and funds to construct one or
more branches for the Public Library.
Acting P. w. A. Administrator
Howard A. Gray is forwarding the
District program as rapidly as possible.
BY the time Mr.. Ickes returns from
his Alaska trip, around Labor Day, the
program will be in excellent shape for
his consideration.
Engineer Commissioner Dan I.
Sultan said today that plans and
specifications for the jail projects
have not been completed because the
District has had no funds for this
purpose. That condition will be
remedied soon by an advance from
the P. w. A. Informed of the allot-
ment. he said the work would be
started as soon as the fund is made
available.
Plans for New Cells.
Preliminary plans submitted to the
P. w. A. call for two-story cell blocks,
each with three tiers Of cells. The
connecting buildings will be three
stories high. Plans for the power
house call for a one and two story
building with stack.
A new dormitory for women, one Of
the gravest needs at the jail, as well
as the remodeling of the old cell
block, are provided in the extensive
improvements.
Congress partially recognized the
need Of doing something to better
conditions at the jail during the last
session when it authorized $3.50, 600
for improvements. Under an appro-
priation of s125, 900, made Immediately
available, a new administrative build
ing and hospital is being built. In
these new quarters will be provided
modern death chamber. For q long
while the chair was installed In the
mess hall whenever an electrooution
was ordered.
Supt. HUFF explained that the old
cell blocks were designed for 300 pris-
oners. As result, conditions at the
jail long have been deplorable and at
times In recent years the subject of
investigations.
Last year the average Jail population
was 646, Mr.. Huff said, and reached q
maximum of 85s on one day. The
(See P. w. A., Page A-3)