Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-24

prison which would obviate the necessity
for farming out the prisoners in different
states. in which he said:
II desire to recommend that the gov
eminent should found and maintain an
institution within the District of Column
bia or nearby in the state of Maryland
provided suitable grounds cannot be OBJ
tanned in the District of Columbia-to be
called prison reformatory, of such ca
pacity as would be required to take care
of all sentenced prisoners of the District
of Columbia. as well as all United states
prisoners for the District of Columbia.
sufficient amount of land should be pro-
cured suitable for farming and gardening
and other purposes as might be required
for such an institution: that all prisoners
of short sentence should be made to work
on the farm in the production of.whatever
could be best used for the maintenance
of the institution, and all other prisoners
should be employed in the production OF
articles of value, the proceeds from the
sale thereof to be covered into the United
States Treasury. and as much thereof
as would be required to defray the eX-
penses of the institution to be appropriate
ed by Congress for that purpose.
Il know the question will arise as to
what industries could be carried on that
would not be considered injurious to labor
in a general way. To my mind it is sheer
nonsense to say that people Yho have
been convicted of crime shall not work
because it would be injurious to what is
the production of manufactured goods by
prison labor is where the sale of such
production would come In competition
with Goods manufactured by ordinary la
Dor.
Could Make Army Supplies.
81 therefore suggest that the War De-
partment could give orders to this insti-
tuition for the manufacture of army sup
plies. such as saddles. harness. blankets,
and clothing. at such prices as the War
Department would, pay other manufactur-
ing institutions for the same kinds of
manufactured goods. and in doing SO the
institution would be entirely self-support-
ing. The present Jail would then only
be used for the detention Of prisoners.
awaiting trial and if modern plumbing.
with small amount of alterations anf
repair. were provided for. the present jail
would be entirely adequate for hundred
years to come l deem 1t unnecessary
for me to argue as to the crying need of
all prisoners having work to perform, ant
it is lust as essential that such work
should be profitable as that labor should
in any other line of business.
THE daily average number of prisoners
of all grades in the Workhouse and the
Jail of the District of Columbia is. APP
proximately $40. There are 426 prisoners
now being kept by the United States gov
eminent at MOundsville. w. Va, and
Trenton. N. ]. The approximate cost of
supporting all of these prisoners is not
less than $4,000 per annum, all of which
expense could be saved to the govern
ment, as l believe, provided the recon-
mendations herein submitted should be
carried out
Located Near Washington.
Asked where he thought such building
should be erected. Warden Harris said
he thought it should not be inside the city
limits, but should be in the country, where
there would be large acreage surround
ing it, He thought the prison might be
built in Maryland or Virginia if ground
enough could not be secured at a reason
able price in the District. He thought,
however. that it should not be too far
away; that it should be built on the line
of one of the electric roads, as many
visitors from all parts of the world would
want to visit and inspect it from time to
time.
II think, as has been suggested" said
the warden. that Congress should make
a start at the present session to do some
thing toward providing such an institu-
ton Money enough should be appropri-
ated to start the building. or at least to
have the drawings and specifications
ready by the time the next session con-
venes. start should be made in order
that there might be something tangible
to place before Congress at its next ses-
sion, and unless something of this kind
is done I fear it will be years before such
an institution is provided.
ut is absolutely certain that something
must be done with the present Jail. I'M
proved facilities are more than neces-
sary for the proper care of prisoners, as
the present structure is insanitary and
entirely too small to accommodate those
who arc sentenced to serve time there"
The Burley Tobacco Society and Fayette