Category: Sullivan County

Time to Get Together and Raise a “Rumpus”

Mr. George E. Penn, Jr., Kelly & Penn Kingsport Tennessee Dear George: Enclosed is my check for $2.75 in payment of my share of the Christmas expense for the "Jail Birds". While we are on this subject, I might say that I understand that the conditions in the City Jail at Kingsport and also the County Jail at Blountville are simply disgraceful. I have fortunately escaped being incarcerated in either of these jails from what I hear of them, I would prefer to be locked up in a cow stable or a pig pen than thrown into one of these jails. As citizens of Kingsport and Sullivan County, I was wondering if it not about time we got together and raised a "rumpus" about this condition. Surely there is enough money to be had to build a decent jail in each of these communities. The present situation is a disgrace. It is all right to give these fellows a Christmas present, but it seems to me the best Christmas present would be to give them decent jails. Am I right - or am I wrong? Sincerely yours, PSWilcox:hpb Signed P. S. Wilcox Copy to - Mr. J. Fred Johnson Mr. J. C. White Mr. J. C. Stone

Dear George: …Conditions in the City Jail at Kingsport and also the County Jail at Blountville are simply disgraceful… I was wondering if it is not about time we got together and raised a “rumpus”..

Disgrace To The County’s Good Name

Jail Lashed By Sullivan Grand Jury Sullivan county circuit court grand jury, renewing a plea that is becoming ancient, today recommended abandonment of the present Sullivan county jail and construction of a new structure large enough to accommodate the county’s jail population and to “provide some semblance of comfort for the inmates.” The full text of the grand jury’s report: "We have visited the county poor farm and thoroughly inspected the rooms of the inmates, talked with them and also inspected the kitchens, dining rooms, and all out houses connected with the farm establishment. We found the buildings and rooms clean and in a sanitary condition. The inmates seemed to be contented and praised the amount and condition of the food. We heartily commend Mr. Carter in the way and manner he conducts the business of running the institution. “We have visited the county jail and made a thorough investigation. The building is in a run down and deplorable condition and in some instances complete windows are missing from their places, giving the prisoners no protection from wind, rain, and other ‘weather conditions. The cells are too small to accommodate even the number of men who are now imprisoned, but we were told by the jailer that the average number of prisoners is almost, if not twice as many as the number now in keeping. One Toilet For 14 Men “The odors from the kitchen smell unlike food; the walls are black and dirty; in the cage on the second floor there was one wash basin for about fourteen men; one toilet, and one wash tub that seemed to be a poor excuse for a place to bathe; we were told that the cells, bed clothes, and walls were infested with vermin of all kinds, in general everything we found we earnestly believe was so filthy, and out of date it would tend to breed criminals, rather than reform. We, however, do not blame the keepers for we believe they are doing as well as anyone could do under the circumstances and conditions. Disgrace To The County’s Good Name “Believing as we do; that the present jail is a disgrace to the good name and government of Sullivan county, or to any government providing places of safe keeping for criminals and violators of our laws: “First: We recommend that,the present building be abandoned and a new building erected; a building large enough to accommodate all those who may be confined and one so constructed as to provide some semblance of ‘comfort for the inmates. “Second: We request that the newspapers of Kingsport, Tenn, and Bristol, Tenn., make investigations, take pictures, and publish editorials and articles in order that their finds might be placed before the citizens of Sullivan county and that they may know the facts and become aroused to the extent that this deplorable condition may be corrected. “We have inspected the courthouse and have found ‘it in fair condition. “We have examined the records of the county court clerk and in our opinion the records, bonds, etc., are in excellent condition, with the exception of the bond of Mrs. Ollie Foram Dancy, dated August 6, 1940. This bond has not been signed by the county judge as ever having been approved in open court. “We recommend that Mr. Chase, the county superintendent of schools, be provided with a complete system of files suitable for the needs of his office and duties.” The report was signed by: Albert Morton, foreman, Boyd E. Ritter, J. Frank Nelson, A. C. Vires, H. R. Kilgore, C. G. Willey, G. D. Gaines, J. A. Neil, Robert W. Coleman, W. S. King, W. F. Flanary, D. W. Moffitt, and Charlie Jones.

Bristol News Bulletin – …Believing as we do; that the present jail is a disgrace to the good name and government of Sullivan county, or to any government providing places of safe keeping for criminals..

Obsolete, Crowded Jail is Reflection on County

Kingsport Times – Sullivan county’s out-moded and over-crowded jail at Blountville is a throwback on the progress of the county. This not only is the opinion of the writer and many citizens of the county..

Action Deferred on Jail Issue

No one in Sullivan County can doubt that the county badly needs a larger and modernly-equipped jail. The need has been stressed by Grand Jury after Grand Jury in reports to the Circuit Court. It long has been recognized by the County Court, which finally, several months ago, named a special committee to study the jail situation and make recommendations. This committee now has recommended the construction of a new jail designed to accommodate immediately 150 prisoners, and ultimately 200 prisoners. But action on this recommendation has been postponed by the County Court until its April term. Pointing out that the special committee had met on three different occasions and arrived at the conclusion that a new jail was necessary, Judge Bandy proposed that the court go on record as approving the construction of a building of permanent character with proper equipment, to cost not more than $100,000 and, as required by State statute, place the issue before the people in a referendum on the date of the county primary in April. As already said, action was deferred, Some of the Magistrates seem opposed to any expenditure for jail improvements, much less the issuance of $100,000 in bonds, the estimated cost of the jail recommended by the special committee. These Magistrates protested in effect that there should be no further increase in the county’s indebtedness for any purpose - that the burden which the taxpayers of the county are i carrying already is heavy enough. They predicted that if a proposal to issue $100,000 or even $50,000 in bonds for a new jail is submitted to a referendum it will be defeated. ‘Meanwhile, the county jail at Blountville - must continue to house more than twice as many prisoners as it was built to accommodate. It Is notoriously overcrowded, making necessary the herding together of first offenders, petty violators and hardened criminals. Not only is the jail much too small, but its equipment is inadequate and out of date, and conditions in the institution naturally are unsanitary, As a place for the confinement of wrongdoers it poorly serves the purpose and is reproach to the county. Since the population of the county is increasing, it is to be expected that the jail population will increase. How is the problem of housing this population, already too serious to be dismissed with a shrug of the shoulder, to be met? It can only be met by providing a larger and more modern institution in which to confine the county’s lawbreakers. Unfortunately, we can not have public improvements without paying for them. When they are as sorely needed as an adequate jail is needed in Sullivan County, we should accept that fact and assume the obligation.

Bristol Herald Courier – No one in Sullivan County can doubt that the county badly needs a larger and modernly-equipped jail. The need has been stressed by Grand Jury after Grand Jury in reports to..

County Should Not Permit Such Conditions to Continue

No one with feeling for the welfare of others could visit the Sullivan county jail at Blountville and not come away sadly and better informed on human misery amidst unfortunate surroundings. The present overcrowded and unsanitary condition in the building, that was erected at the turn of the century when prisoners were few is the same situation that has existed over a long period of time. Members of the county grand juries and other groups have for years recommended the construction of a new jail, but without results. One hundred prisoners are huddled together in sixteen narrow cells. The number includes nineteen women, mostly young girls. The male population is composed largely of young boys. The building is kept clean and Sheriff J.D. Newland and Jailer Sam Feathers use every available means for the comfort of the inmates, but facilities are limited. There is not a single bath in the building. Water for baths is carried to cells in tubs. All the lavatories are in poor condition, one being so rotted away it has to be propped up. "How do you live like this?" was a question asked last week of a man from among eleven crowded together in a small cell on the second floor. "Live?" he said, not in the manner of a question but seemingly as a statement of amazement that anyone would consider it living. "Why don't they just get a shotgun and shoot us all?" In one of the cells, containing two bunks and a small cot, leaving but little space in which to walk about, were ten young women. One was 25 years old, the ages of the others ranging between 16 and 19. "Thank God," said a 17-year-old girl, "I'm getting out of here in nine days." Outside in the hall, was a large negro woman, lying on a floor mat beside a pile of jail supplies. The keeper explained that it was the only place she could sleep as colored and white were not placed together and there was no room anywhere else. Another colored woman was quartered in a small supply room near the kitchen. In one cell upstairs there were ten white men, so crowded together the appearance was like that of beasts corralled in a narrow pen. Four of them were on the floor, playing cards. They were sitting on crossed legs, in order to leave room for the cards. Six were sitting on bunks, perspiration dripping from their faces. Three boys were recognized as first offenders. They were housed with several men with long criminal records. At this point one of the officers explained that the crowded conditions made it necessary to place persons with contagious diseases in the same cells with healthy prisoners. Sullivan county should not permit such conditions to continue.

Bristol Herald Courier – No one with feeling for the welfare of others could visit the Sullivan county jail and not come away sadly and better informed on human misery amidst unfortunate surroundings. The present..

New Jail Urgently Recommended

Grand Jurors Recommend New Jail in Sullivan Co. Improvements Are Also Suggested at County Poor House; Sanitary Conditions Criticized A new county jail to take care of the present crowded and unsanitary conditions and repairs to the county poor house were urgently recommended by the grand jury of the Sullivan county circuit court yesterday afternoon shortly before. being dismissed by Judge Shelbourne Ferguson of duties in the September term of court, now in progress at Blountville. The report stated that the grand jury had visited the county poor house and found conditions very good in the main building. “The concrete building in the rear is deplorable,” it said, “and we strongly recommend that something be done immediately to make this a more livable and sanitary place. The main building needs some repairs to floors and steps, and the buildings should be painted.” In the comments on the jail it was stated that “conditions in the county jail are splendid, when you consider the plant as it stands at present, and we congratulate the sheriff and jailer upon the job done with so little to work with.” “Sanitary conditions,’ the report continued, “should be looked after very carefully, and. we fear for the health of the prisoners in these overcrowded conditions. We recommended a new jail to take care of this overcrowded condition and also recommend that the prisoners be worked, believing that exercise and fresh air is vitally necessary to the health of the inmates. Most of the prisoners are young men and their health should be safeguarded in every manner possible, and every effort made to get them started back to right thinking and right living.” Following the report of the grand jury Sheriff J. D. Newland told a Herald Courier reporter that in his opinion the greatest needs of the county were for a new jail and a new poor house. Sheriff Newland said that although the jail was originally intended to house no more than fifty prisoners, and even then was crowded, that there was now a population of eighty-three persons and many times had been more than a hundred, In speaking of sanitation in the building he mentioned that there was only one bath room, it in the kitchen of the lower wing, and that water for prisoners to take baths had to be carried to their cells in washing tubs.

Bristol Herald Courier – A new county jail to take care of the present crowded and unsanitary conditions and repairs to the county poor house were urgently recommended by the grand jury of the Sullivan..

Blountville Jail Has ‘Full House’

Blountville Jail Has Full House The number of prisoners incarcerated int he county jail at Blountville today had swelled to 50. Three persons were added to the list from Kingsport on various minor charges. Ed Morelock, charged with drunkenness, disturbing the public worship, public profanity and possessing liquor, was the chief violator. The other two are being held on drunk charges. A majority of the prisoners now in jail are being held on drunk charges or other minor offenses.

Kingsport Times – The number of prisoners incarcerated in the county jail at Blountville today had swelled to 50… A majority of the prisoners now in jail are being held on drunk charges or other..

Greatly Overcrowded

Blountville Jail Clean, Crowded, Evangelist Avers Capt. Dan McDonald Says He Cannot Say as Much For Other County Jails in East Tennessee Sullivan county's jail, although greatly overcrowded, “is as clean as it can be" and the sheriff (John L. Ford) is doing all he can to take care of the men," according to Captain Dan McDonald, prison evangelist who said yesterday he had visited 85 chain gangs and jails in the last two months. Other East Tennessee county jails he has visited do not merit commendation but the fault lies generally with the county instead of the sheriff, he said. Rev. McDonald, a Baptist minister who devotes his time to prison work, said conditions revealed by the Wickersham report on jails and penal institutions were not exaggerated. “We, as a nation, have lost confidence in one another and as a result our prisons are filled to more than capacity. The conditions in many of them are not such that prisoners will have much respect for law and order when their terms are completed,” he said. McDonald, has never, he stated seen a sheriff who wanted a jail packed with prisoners. ° “If the jail is overcrowded, it is not the sheriff’s fault--he can't build jails. It is the county's fault. 1 know of one that is more than 100 years old and is being used today, holding far more prisoners than it was ever intended to.” The evangelist said “several penal institutions in Tennessee have great room for improvement, particularly Brushy Mountain.” Of the Sullivan county jail, McDonald said Sheriff Ford was doing all possible and that the jail was well kept but that the 104 prisoners are too many for that size jail, which at one time was considered crowded with 85 men. The evangelist said the Virginia state road convict camp near Hilton was well conducted by Warden Reams, whom he described as “a very fine gentleman who treats the boys all right and has their respect.” He also said Sheriff H. W. Culbertson was handling the Scott county jail well but that he was handicapped in his efforts because it is “antiquated and overcrowded.” McDonald's theory of prison reform, he stated, is to seek "the cooperation of the prisoner with the officials, thereby leading to constructive prison reform, the moral and physical uplift of the prisoner, and the restoration of the offender to good citizenship.” He visits chain gangs and county jails, he said, because “there !s the beginning of prison reform and because they do not, as penitentiaries do, have chaplains.”

Bristol Herald Courier – …We have lost confidence in one another and as a result our prisons are filled to more than capacity… Conditions… are not such that prisoners will have much respect for law… ..

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