Warren Commission (12 of 26): Hearings Vol. XII (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (12 of 26): Hearings Vol. XII (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. DECKER. Yes; I do--there are many maximums--I have 450
maximum-security cells that's the latest that can be built. The others
are built in the old jail which was built in 1913. Of course, my steel
isn't so good in that old jail.
Mr. HUBERT. By maximum security, you mean, of course, maximum security
from the standpoint that the prisoner can't get out?
Mr. DECKER. It is tool proof steel, one, and two, it is the modern
locks. The man who maintains it--the opening and closing of the doors
to it is in a cell block where the prisoners could not get to him
unless he did as a couple of my boys did the other day, I'm sorry to
say. You don't need to put that in there. They are no longer with me.
They opened the door when they had no business to and they lost their
jobs and I lost five prisoners.
Mr. HUBERT. Does maximum security as it operates with you include
considerations of security to the prisoner himself?
Mr. DECKER. Yes, sir.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you consider it to be your function, not merely to
secure the prisoner so that he may be brought to justice or acquitted,
but also so that his personal security will be maintained and he will
not be injured, either by other prisoners or by outsiders?
Mr. DECKER. Well, I even go further than that.
Mr. HUBERT. Well, will you tell us about that?
Mr. DECKER. A prisoner that is delivered to me--when the crime is
committed, he is then delivered to me and when he is delivered to me,
from then on I am his keeper. I must furnish his food, his clothing,
get his medication and all the necessities of life required. I must
protect him from a violent prisoner and I also must protect him from a
citizen who would desire to do harm to him.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you consider that your physical set up, and by that I
mean, bricks and cement and steel as well as personnel is adequate to
accomplish the purposes that you have described as maximum security?
Mr. DECKER. We feel that our men are qualified from the training that
is given to them, one; that the jail has passed Federal jail inspection
on many occasions; and we feel that our jail is so constructed that the
prisoner is protected.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, of course, you are aware that a man by the name of Lee
Harvey Oswald was in the custody of the Dallas police?
Mr. DECKER. Yes; I had some officers present when he was arrested.
Mr. HUBERT. From the sheriff's office--sheriff's officers were present?
Mr. DECKER. Yes; sheriff's officers were present in Oak Cliff at the
time. They responded to the assassination of the killing of Tippit, the
same as others. You see, I was at the scene of the assassination of the
President.
Mr. HUBERT. Yes.
Mr. DECKER. When my officers were dispatched there, I also told some
other agencies to send their men over there.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, what is the custom with respect to prisoners who are
captured or taken into custody by the city police when there is no
warrant of arrest?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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