Officer's Barber Shop with Inmate Barber
Room where Breads and Pastries are Cooled
On this floor are also located the punishment cells, the crank department and the insane ward. At the present time there are about twenty insane prisoners there and many are very dangerous and quite difficult to handle. Mike Brennan has been locked in this ward for many years. He is a life prisoner, has violent homicidal tendencies and has attacked several prisoners before being finally separated from his fellow inmates.
Mike Cunningham, who recently killed another prisoner and received a life sentence, is confined in the crank department. Cunningham is very treacherous. He conceals a sharp instrument about his person to use whenever an opportunity presents itself. He is guarded with great care by the officer in charge to see that he obtains nothing of a dangerous nature.
Each afternoon the deputy warden holds court in his office; at this time all reports of the various guards are considered and reprimands administered for violations of prison rules. The charge is first read to the offender and he is permitted to reply in his own defense. If he can prove extenuating circumstances in excuse for his breach of the rules he is excused; if not, reprimanded [pg 41] [pg 42] [pg 43] [pg 44] and perhaps deprived of his tobacco and writing tickets for three or four weeks; without these tickets the privilege is withheld.
It is well to state that no high-priced attorneys are retained by the accused in this “court” in order to locate a full-grown technicality whereby the chances of escaping censure are greatly enhanced. If the inmate has committed a serious offense the deputy warden is empowered to order the culprit put in the solitary for several days on bread and water.
Corporal punishment is strictly prohibited, and no guard or officer is permitted to “club” a prisoner except in self defense or to quell a mutiny. The following are the principal offenses for which prisoners are reported:
| Altering clothing. | |
|---|---|
| Bed not properly made. | |
| Clothing not in proper order. | |
| Communicating by signs. | |
| Defacing property. | |
| Dilatory. | |
| Dirty cell or furnishings. | |
| Disobedience. | |
| Disturbance in cellhouse. | |
| Fighting. | |
| Hands in pockets. | |
| Hands or face not clean. | |
| Hair not combed. | |
| Impertinence to visitors. | |
| Insolence to officers. | |
| Insolence to foremen. | |
| Insolence to fellow prisoners. | |
| Inattentive in line. | |
| Inattentive at work. | |
| Inattentive in school. | |
| Laughing and fooling. | |
| Loud talk in cell. | |
| Loud reading in cell. | |
| Malicious mischief. | |
| Not out of bed promptly. | |
| Not at door for count. | |
| Not wearing outside shirt. | |
| Not promptly out of cell when brake is drawn. | |
| Out of place in shop or line. | |
| Profanity. | |
| Quarreling. | |
| Shirking. | |
| Spitting on the floor. | |
| Staring at visitors. | |
| Stealing. | |
| Trading. | |
| Talking in chapel. | |
| Talking in line. | |
| Talking in school. | |
| Talking at work. | |
| Talking from cell to cell. | |
| Talking in corridor. | |
| Throwing away food. |
