Omaha daily bee., 1895-03-29
FOR UNCLE SANS PRISONERS
Quarters to Be Provided for Offenders
Against the Federal Laws.
TRANSFORMATION OF FORT leAvtNwoRTr
Military Prison to Re Changed Into n
National Penitentiary - Means
Change of System In the Care
of Federal Criminals.

! WASHINGTON. March 2S.-In making pro.
vision for the transformation OF the military
prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan into a
national penltentlary, as congress directed at
the last session by provision In the sundry
civil appropriation bill, a new system has
been inaugurated by the government which
it is believed will in time lead to a complete
change in the method OF caring for United
States criminals. The system now in vogue
Is to locate the federal convicts in the various
state penitentiaries. wherever the best terms
can be procured, and 1t has become difficult to
ind lodgment for them since the passage Of
the law prohibiting these convicts from en-
gaging in any employment which will bring
the product of their labor into competition
with the product of free labor.
There are about 1000 of these conyicts and
they are scattered about the country In the
state institutions from New York to Cali
! tornia. wherever the laws OF the state permit
their acceptance and accommodations can be
| found. The large majority of them are, how
ever, confined in eastern institutions, and as
many OF the prisoners are sent from the
western states and territories, the expense
OF transportation is large TEN. The amount
charged by western states for caring for CON
Victs is so much larger than that charged by
eastern states, however as to make the saw
ing Of the difference In this particular greater
than the additional transportation. Some
charge as much as 81 a day for the care of
United States prisoners while the charge in
the eastern states ranges from 20 to 40 cents
Furthermore the United States loses all con-
troll of its prisoners when turned over to the
state institutions.
The Fort Leavenworth prison will accom-
modate only about 900 convicts, but II is
probable that If the experiment proves sue
cessful other similar institutions will be es-
taDlished. Congress a few years ago enacted
a law providing for three national prisons to
be located, one In the east, one in the west
ana the third near the center of the country
but the law proved dead letter. as no ap-
preparation was made for carrying it into
effect
In the case of Fort Leavenworth no pre-
ilminary expense will be necessary, as the
milltary prison is in good shape to receive
the civil convicts The prison has connected
with 1t farm of 1000 acres and is also pro-
vided with workshops of various kinds. which
IL is believed will aid in making the institu-
tion self-supporting. The new law provides
carefully, however, against the employment
or convicts In any way so to bring them
into competition with free labor. 1t is esti-
mated that 500 prisoners can be taken care
OF for S125,OO0 the first year, which would be
a reduction of about one-fourth of the usual
cost.
Ihe law also makes radical change in the
hio'houS VI punishment or the war deDart-
ment. While it inaugurates national sys-
TEN for prisoners sentenced by the United
states civil courts 1t abandons the national
system, except in extreme cases. for mill
tary prisoners. The national plan has been
round to be undesirable for the army, and the
heads OF this branch of the service express
the opinion that it will be in every way more
satisfactory to punish ordinary military pris-
oners at their respective posts than at a CEN
trai institution. The principal objection to
the national plan In the army is found in the
1act that 1t brings the prisoners who are in
carcerated for slight offenses, constituting a
large majority of the military prisoners, into
contact with hardened criminals, and has a
tendency to corrupt the offenders of a smaller
degree. 1t Is also urged that tie ordinary
military offenders can be made useful about
the various military posts in doing menial
service. There will also be big saving of
expenses In guard duty and in transportation,
amounting on the latter account, it is be-
ieved, to as much as 500, 900.