Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-20
HAVE YOU SEEN H|M2 JAIL REMEDY SECRET
Brand-New Caterpillar Is Eat LaDow Will Not 0WuIge Plans
ing Up Your Trees. OF Commission.
HAS ARRIVED BY MILLIONS TELLS OF OBSERVATIONS
City Prompt Found Crime Wave Prevailing Else
ton Is Not Taken. where in Country
LOOKS SLEEPY BUT HE ISN'T INSTITUTION IN BAY STATE
Away INCREASINGLY
Night and Day Plan Other Trips
TELLS OF OBSERVATIONS
Found Crime Wave Prevailing Else
where in Country.
INSTITUTION IN BAY STATE
He and Colleagues Have Inspected
Many Prisons in Massachusetts,.
Plan Other Trips.

1T is the purpose of the commission ap-
pointed by the President to investigate
conditions at the jail and the workhouse
to suggest Some plan to relieve the bad
conditions known to exist in those insti-
tendent of prisons of the Department OF
Justice, and a member of the commission.
this morning.
Mr.. LaDow said It was generally known
that the conditions in the District Jail are
far from satisfactory. He outlined what
the commission has already done in the
way of investigating conditions in ths
Washington institutions and in other
prisons. He refused to talk about the
general plans Of the commission.
Asked what the commission proposes to
do. he read the section in the last Dis
trict bill authorizing the appointment OF
the commission.
1t is follows:
THE President is authorized to appoint
three commissioners. one of whom may
be appointed by the Attorney General aud
one by the Commissioners of the District
OF Columbia. who shall investigate the
condition OF the jail of the District OF
Columbia, now under the control of the
Attorney General and of the workhouse
within said District. and other buildings
adjacent to said Jail: and in connection
Will the 1ut0SuSdtlOn Lie COnlIllSc1ON-
ers. under the direction OF the Attorney
General. may visit and inspect similar
institutions in other cities within the
United States: and they shall report to the
President on or before December 81. 1908.
concerning said condition and the ex-
pediency of removing said Jail. workhouse
and other buildings to other sites more
appropriate for their needs and located
SO near to railroad lines as to secure
suitable facilities for the delivery thereto
NJ material Sltfa hla nacaSSQrY for In
dustries to be therein carried on: and
shall also make such other recommenda-
tions on the subject as may seem to them
expedient: for the expenses Of the COM
mission there IL hereby appropriated the
sum OF $500. or 30 much thereof as may
be necessary"
II is underssood that the commission
regards the provisions Of this law as
authorizing the commission to consider
generally the care Of all individual Grim
inals convicted in the District courts. Un-
der the law. 1t is pointed out. the com.
Jail workhouse and allied institutions
from their present site to q new location
the establishment OF workshops and IN
dustries of various kinds In connection
with them and even the establishment OF
a penitentiary in the District of Colum-
bia for the care of long-term convtcts.
On account of the agitation for a change
in the plan of caring for the long-term
prisoners. whereby they will no longer be
sent to other penitentiaries. but kept in
q new prison located In or near the DIS.
trict, it is understood that this project VIII
be considered. But the members or the
commission refuse to talk on this matter.
The report of the commission must be
submitted to the President on or before
December 81 next, in time to allow some
action to be taken at the next session OF
Congress-.
Remedy Will Be Suggested.
1.-The members of the commission are
aware of deplorable conditions which exist
with regard to the custody of District
prisoners. We hope we will be able 10
render a report making suggestions for
remedying those conditions" Mr.. LADow
said this morning.
son another member of the commission.
visited the jail shortly after appointment
and made an investigation or cohuil'o'.s
there. He also pointed out that the Az,
torney General has. in his reports. called
attention of Congress to the bad condi-
tions in the Jail and the necessity for
some remedy. -
Further details OF the recent trlp
of the members OF the ,.,.,,t,nn. jail I'LL
mission to inspect penal institutions
I'm New England were made pubic nN
Mr.. LaDow this morning. He SAID tha
three members of the commlssion,Jus'i.e
Stafford, John Joy Edison and Hoper. "
LaDow-have just returned from Boston.
There and elsewhere In Massacnu-
setts they investigated penal institutions
to observe the manner in which the state
and city care for prisoners
The commission visited the state Peiu-
tentiary at Charlestown. the reformatory
at Concord. the state farm at Bridge
water. the Suffolk county jail In Boston
and the house of correction on Deer is
land. They examined in detail the phs-
steal conditions surrounding the conhhe-
ment of prisoners.
Other Places to Be Visited.
The inspection Of other institutions
will not stop with this trip. however. it
is announced. The commission plans 10
visit prisons In other states, although
the places have not been selected.
That the crime wave held responsible
for the present overcrowding and con-
gestion of Washington penal tnstitu-
tions is not peculiar to the District was
an interesting fact learned by the COM
missioners on their recent trip. The
officers of the various institutions Wis
tied spoke of the prevalence of crime
in New England. shown in the Increase
in population of almost every penal
institution. Papers I'm the Hub recently
contained editorials discussing the
causes.
Il notice that Judges KimbalI and
Mullowny of the Police Court COM
mented on the increase of crime here.
states We visited" stated Mr.. LaDow
this morning.
Mr. LaDow refused to comment on
the recent attitude of other officials of
the Department OF Justice blaming
Congress for the present conditions at
the Jail. They have pointed out tnat the
Attorney General has called the atten-
tion of Congress to bad conditions in
the Jail, and that Congress has failed to
provide a remedy.