Evening star., 1945-02-03
JaiIs in Montgomery
Prince Georges Hit
In Report 10 State
BY the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, Feb. 3.-The
findings Of a present and a former
Federal prison inspector of condi-
tions in Prince Georges and Mont
gomery County jails were made pub
lie today in an official report to
Maryland State authorities.
The inspectors said they found
that:
Prince Georges Jail at Upper
Marlboro "has no facilities for the
cooking Of meals and the jail is de-
pendent on meals being brought in
from outside"
A great percentage Of Juveniles
under II years of age-including one
3 years old, was found on the Mont
gomery County Jail record at Rock
vile.
Report Was Requested.
The report was submitted to Sts.e
authorities on request by Federal
Prison Inspector Edgar M. Gerlach
and Richard w. Hicks, former Fed
eral prison inspector and present
Baltimore County probation officer.
The report said that at the Upper
Marlboro Jail local contractor and
farmer was paid go cents per day
for furnishing two meals and 60
cents additional for the men who
work on the road. The latter are
given three sandwiches, which means
he receives 20 cents apiece for the
sandwiches.
"A colored prisoner was commit
ted June 7, 1914, to serve go days
and pay fine of 500 and costs for
operating a car without the consent
of the owner He escaped from the
road gang July Z, 1914, and was re-
turned July 26. He has worked on
the road for one week with a ball
and chain.
Records Very Meager."
"The records we're very meager
Not much attention is paid to discip-
line. While the inspection was 60
ing on, scuf11ing was heard in the
colored section and it was found that
one colored man was hitting an
other with his belt. The jailer was
not particularly concerned about
this. He said it did not mean much.
Poker games with money were going
on in both the white and colored
sections"
This jail had mo lights in the
cells and no toilet facilities for fe-
male prisoners" the report said.
The inspectors rated Montgomery
County Jail at Rockville as poor"
and sixth among the States %
county jails They reported its food
bill ran to about one-half the total
cost of operation.
"One OF the amazing things about
this jail which is located in a semi
metropolitan area, is the large per-
|centage of juveniles committed. Al
most 10 per cent of those who were
locked up are II years of age or
under, including one boy years of
age" the report said.
Child Held Two Days.
''His height, weight and general
description were given on the card,
which read for investigation Ac-
tuauy he was held for two days with
his mother, who in turn was held
with some one else on a charge of
operating an automobile without a
license. However, the 108 juveniles
came in on their own.
This Jail, which has unusually
good records, was convicted by the
use of its own records, whereas the
same situation undoubtedly exists
in other jails but was not brought
to light because no records giving
age or sex could be found"
An inspector "got the impression
that the warden stood in awe of his
charges and that he seldom goes to
the cells.
"One bad feature as far as women
are concerned in a man-adminis-
tered jail is the lack of privacy.
"The equipment is. fairly good, but
is being neglected and before long
the county will pay in dollars and
cents for this lack of care" the re-
port stated.