The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy, March 1912: New Series No. 51Pennsylvania Prison Society
History
The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy, March 1912: New Series No. 51
Pennsylvania Prison Society
Charities -- Periodicals; Prisons -- Periodicals
In the center of the building is a rotunda 80 feet in width and
about 70 feet in height, surmounted by a lantern. From this center
six one-story corridors, or blocks, radiate like the spokes of a
wheel. These vary somewhat in length, but average about 330 feet,
and there is an average of about 70 cells in each. The floor space
of each cell is 8×18 feet and the ceiling height is 13 feet,
surmounted by a skylight. Of these corridors, A, B, C, and D are
occupied by white prisoners, and two of the corridors, E and F, by
colored. The number of prisoners at this date, February 1st, 1912,
is 715, about ninety less than at this time last year. About 60 per
cent. are white and 40 per cent. colored. All the prisoners are
men. All women convicts are sent to the Moyamensing Prison.
The total number of cells is 440, and usually each cell is occupied
by two prisoners. Every cell is provided with a wash basin with
running water, a closet, two iron bedsteads, a table and one or two
stools. Each bedstead is provided with a mattress stuffed with 25
pounds of hand-picked corn husks and a 7-pound pillow of the same
material. Beside a pair of sheets and pillow cases each prisoner
has two 4-pound blankets of excellent quality.
When a prisoner enters he undergoes a careful examination and a
very complete record is made of all his personal characteristics.
He then goes to the bathing room. An entirely new suit of clothing
is given him, and the clothing with which he entered the prison
is tied up in a sack, to which his name is attached by a tag. The
sack is then placed in a room provided for that purpose, where it
remains until his discharge from the jail.
Wednesday and Thursday are bathing days, and each prisoner is
required to take a bath at least once a week unless the physician
certifies that the condition of the prisoner’s health would
render bathing inexpedient. A change of bedding and underclothing
is supplied to each prisoner on every Saturday.
[Illustration: OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION, PHILADELPHIA COUNTY
PRISON FOR CONVICTS, AT HOLMESBURG]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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