Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-29
PAROLE OF PRISONERS
Failure to Establish Local
System Criticised.
BILL YET IN Committee
Delay IN Reporting Measure to the
House Condemned.
COMMENT FROM MOUNDsvILLE
No Effort Made to Reclaim the Fed
eral Criminals in the West
Virginia Penitentiary.

eral Criminals in the west
Virginia Penitentiary.
The failure Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives to pass at the present session
the Senate bill for a probation and parole
system in the District of Columbia has
resulted in some caustic comments on
the subject from Charles McCamic. an
attorney of Moundsville. W. Va.-where
the penitentiary to which most District
prisoners are now sent Is located-follow-
ing the receipt of answers to communi-
cations addressed by Mr.. McCamic to
Chairman Jenkins Of the House commit
tee on the judiciary and Chairman Smith
of the House committee on the District
of Columbia
West Virginia's Law.
Mr.. McCamic sent this letter to Messrs.
Jenkins and Smith:
May 10. 1905
Dear Sir: I have watched with in
tense interest your efforts to secure the
enactment of a parole law for the Dis
| trict of Columbia. and have read the bill
| recently passed by the Senate on the re-
port by the District of Columbia COM
mittee
I'VE have an excellent parole law In
this state. which. during the five years
1t has been In force. has been literally
| administered with astonishingly good re-
suits to both the public and the prisoner.
There are about 3D federal prisoners
now confined in our state penitentfary
| under sentences Of the District Of Column
bia court. many of whom ! know from
my personal knowledge, should not have
| been sent to prison at all If the public
has any real interest in the innocence,
welfare reformation of convicted per-
| sons: but they are not eligible to parole
under our law. nor Is there any hope of
the exercise Of the federal powers Of
pardon and Communication in their behalf
powers which are benignly vet conserva-
lively used here with highly beneficial
consequences. and not made dead letters
as at Washington--to such An extent. in
deed that federal prisoners know it to be
useless to apply there for help; and such
an applicant Is. in harsh truth. an object
of ridicule or pity.
Federal Prisoners Forgotten.
Our officials give to federal prisoners
| here all the aid they can within the ex-
ceedingly narrow limits of their authority
as 10 such class OF persons: but the fed
eral officers simply commit and then
studiously forget them in any and every
respect that will help such prisoners.
Personally observing. as l frequently
do. the actual working Of our modern
state laws In comparison with the archaic
federal laws relating to prisoners, and the
difference between the attention given to
| state prisoners by state officers and the
lack OF attention given to federal pris-
oners by federal officers. it makes me
wonder II the national government is
one of civilized men. for no gross
er instance of inhumanity. barbarfty and
neglect can be found than In the fixed at
titude of the federal departments toward
fA1a 6o1
that our national government is more
justly subject to criticism in this respect
than Is Russia with her Siberia.
In the very nature of things. unless a
federal parole law be passed at this ses-
sion many valuable lives will be lost dur
ing the coming hot summer months many
worthy prisoner will pass beyond the
pale of redemption, and no effort can be
more noble In the eyes of God or man
than that which will extend kind hand
to that unfortunate. ostracized and denied
class of our people. made SO by our own
general government. the federal prison
ers. In the name Of the civilization and
enlightenment of which we so proudly
boast. and the humanity of man to man
which SO loudly proclaim, l ask that
you will ceaselessly continue your earnest
efforts to have the parole bill enacted at
this session of Congress.
Il may add that l address you as a
human American and not as paid advo-
cate
Replies Of the Chairman.
Mr. McCamic received the following let
ter from Judge jenkins in reply:
My Dear Sir: Yours of the 10Th instant
received, and contents noted. l certain
ly have done all 1 possibly could to get
the bill you refer to out of committee.
but it has simply been impossible. and as
have said to another interested party, 1t
seems Impossible to accomplish anything
at this session.
Chairman Smith of the House District
committee wrote Mr.. McCamic' as fol-
lows:
My Dear Sir: am pleased to hear
from you and thank you for writing me
so fully and freely. 1t is a matter of
sincere regret to me that 1t is SO late in
the session, for you know by reading the
press and the Congressional Record, II
you are so fortunate as to receivee the
same, how difficult 1t Is and has been for
we could only have the time that is con-
sumed In unnecessary roll calls. we could
do much more, but as 1t is we must ac-
cept the situation coniplacently and
to do at this session of Congress we may
complete the coming session"
Mr.. Mechanics Comment.
In letter to The Star. inclosing copies
of the above communications Mr. Nc
Camic says:
The reasons assigned for failure to get
the bill out Of committee and to pass II
do not seem to me to be sufficient, yet l
am unable to state the real cause of de-
lay. notwithstanding 1 have often heard
the judiciary committee referred to as the
'mOrgue.'
1T is the intention of the Attorney
General of the United States. at a very
early date, to cart like cattle a large
number Of District of Columbia prisoners
from here to the Fort Leavenworth peni-
Tertiary, and few to the Atlanta
prison. Many of these men would un-
doubtedly be paroled II the law were en-
acted now. and would thus avoid the
gratuitously added and wholly unneces-
sary modification. shame. disgrace,
danger and suffering of thousandmile
trip in chains. l have more than once
heard 1t said by some of your prisoners
here that they would rather serve Ave
years in this pententiary than be sub
jected TO the twelve-hour trip from Wash
ington. and from what have personally
seen. believe that they spoke the truth.
II may be that this contemplated transfer
has some bearing upon the delay but
even II not. 1t certainly furnishes another
powerful reason. for immediate action
The additional week or ten days
which it is now said the present SEES
which II is now said that the present SEES
sion will continue, will furnish ample
time and opportunity to report and pass
this bill as 1t does not appear that either
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