Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-23
STUDY OF CHRONOLOGY
MR.. ROBERT N. HARPER'S SUG-
GEsTIoN FOR REFORM.

Robert N. Harper. president Of the Cham
Der of Commerce. is making a study of ad-
vanced Ideas for the treatment and SEN
fencing Of the criminal class, with special
reference to reform in the District of Co.
lumbia, and has come to the conclusion
that there ought to be some radical changes
here along the line of action taken in sew
eral OF the states
Mr.. Harper said yesterday, in speaking of
his researches, that his attention was first
called to the subject by Judge w. p. stat
ford of the Supreme Court of the District
of Columbia who referred to 1t in an after
dinner speech last winter.
1T interested me at once" he said land
l determined to investigate II and then see
what could be done here in the District. I
have since been in correspondence with
several state governors, number of peni-
Tertiary WardenS and others, and have be-
come pretty thoroughly acquainted with the
progress made elsewhere in this country in
dealing with the morally sick
Mr.. Harper's Plan Outlined.
Mr.. Harpers plan ombodes, among other
things, the indetermnate sentence of
victed criminals, and involves complete
change of local Jail facilities. He would
like to avoid the necessity OF sending first
offenders to Moundsville by the erection of
a combined Jail and penitentiary within the
District limits.
His plan is to be presented to the Cham
Der OF Commerce this fall, and he hopes
to see it considered by other orga MIA tons
OF citizens in the District.
Mr.. Harper thus describes his plan:
The estimated cash value of the prod
ucts raised on the West Virginia peniten-
tiary farm for 1905. l am told, was $3.50.
1t is reasonable to presume. the refore that
our prisoners kept by It produced about
$4,000 OF this amount. The farm is small
1.-Two 7 II lxn hat
we pay West Virginia to keep them. but 1t
appears to me that they might as we'll
work for us here
Il am told that we are accommodating
in our Jail about 400 prisoners. 1 am in
formed that the conditions at our United
States Jail for caring for the convicts in
at least one respect are deplorable, II not
uncivliZed At any rate, such a state OF
affairs should not exist at the seat Of gov
ernmento of this great country, even though
conditions may be the same in many Of
the states The very fact of our not hav-
ing cells enough to accommodate every In
mate is sufficient justification for serious
consideration for some sort of change to
be made.
BY having an insufficient number of cells
1t becomes necessary often TO place two
prisoners in the same cell. When this Is
done innocently. Of course, too fire.
quently lend a helping hand to make a
hardened criminal out Of a first offender.
who might by proper surroundings and
associations be reformed and thereby be-
come respectable citizen.
Under the Old System.
'Under@the old system the criminals
would be sent to prison to associate with
old or hardened offenders for a fixed or
definite term and be released at the end of
that period possibly no better, from moral
standpoint, and frequently worse than
when they went In. Under the reformatory
system they have their mind and body
trained with the object always in view of
reformation, and when released they are
supposed to be morally cured as a patient
from hospital Is supposed to be physically
LAS to the indeterminate sentence the
fear which has been in the minds of some
that II would shorten the time of confne-
ment is not true. as taught by experience.
The time when the prisoner is subject TO
parole by the board of managers is just as
indefinite as the discharge of a patient
from the hospital lie is paroled under the
strictest rules by the board of managers
when morally cured
LAS we have for SO long been contracting
with another state for our penitentiary
criminals, the treatment of whom is the
ordinary kind with stripes and worl. while
serving out a stipulated time, minus the
usual good behavior clause, but with no
thought as to the change in their moral con-
d1tiOn, should we not consider the ad-
visibility of keeping over our criminals and
contracting with some states for the re-
formatory system If We did not see our way
clear TO esta blish something of the kind
ourselves? With this done much good will
have been accomplished upon most worthy
lines of progress"