Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-06
Local Prison Reform.

BY agreeing without dissent to the APP
preparations committees plan to create
fund Of $100. 900 to start the reformatory
and the workhouse proposed by the local
prison compassion, the Senate yesterday
took the first legislative step toward the
cure OF the unwholesome conditions which
here prevail with regard to the care OF
lawbreakers. Senator Clay performed
an important service when he directed at
tention to the commissions report as IAN
unanswerable argument in favor of the
establishment OF the new system and
caused the printing Of the major portion
| of the document in the Record. That re-
| port should be read from beginning to
| end by every member of Congress, not
merely as guide to what is needed
| here, but as a suggestion to be conveyed
| through the national legislators to the
lawmakers OF the states.
| This is far more than a local question
Owing to the facility OF travel in these
days crime has become in a large degree
an interstate problem. No jurisdiction
| is free from invasion by the lawbreaking
element. In the course of the discussion
of this subject in the Senate yesterday,
which evoked no opposition whatever to
the principles lHFOlNcU Ill luc CVuLliS-
sion's plan, Senator Johnston raised the
question whether there was not an ex-
cessive proportion of prisoners in Wash
ington. and was answered by Mr.. Tillman
in these words:
while the provision may seem at this
time in excess Of the number OF prison.
ers. the city is rapidly growing and the
number of criminals here is immense. /
have been somewhat familiar with the
reports Of the chief of police on this SUBJ
ject. A former District Commissioner de-
clared before the District committee that
the criminal classes Of Washington were
second to. those in no other city IN the
| world, or. certainly. in this country. 1t
| seems to be a harbor Of refuge for a large
number Of .derelict scoundrels who roam
in here from Virginia and other southern
states, as well as from the northern
| states"
| II this city is "harbor Of refuge" for
scoundrels it is largely because Of the
small size OF the police force and per-
haps in addition because Of the lack Of q
properly broad vagrancy law. Mr.. TILL
man was instrumental at the last session
in securing the approval by the Senate
| Of such a law. and the bill is now
pending in the House committee. But It
Is not altogether true that Washington
characters in especially large numbers
| because of any lack of local sentiment
in favor of law enforcement The point
chiefly to be borne in mind by Congress
| in this connection is that the capital
should possess the means to care for
the evilly inclined who are taken into
custody here, whether they come from
elsewhere or are of local habitation.
Washington should. in short, have q
prison system which will insure a maxi
mum Of prevention and Of cure. regard
less of the proportion Of evildoers to the
population. 1t is urgently required in
the interest of the community's safety
that the criminals, whether casual or
habitual, should be properly confined and
treated, and at the same time it is due
to the lawbreakers themselves that they
be given the benefit Of probation and
parole system in cases OF merit.