Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-30
Local Prison Reform.

The DlStr1ct commissioners HdVlilS III
dorsed the recommendations of the prison
commission. recently transmitted to Con-
gress by the President. the matter is now
finally before that body for action. Re-
sponsibility rests there alone for the con-
tinuance OF the shameful inadequacy of
the local facilities for the custody of
prisoners. which is the result of years
of inattention to representa- tons made by
District officials. citizens and newspapers
regarding the need of legislation on this
subject. Senator Gallinger. who secured
last year the enactment of the authori-
Zation for the commissions inquiry, on
Thursday introduced bill to establish
probation system here, in terms similar
to those proposed by the commission,
which has been promptly reported favor
ably by the District committee. Yester-
day he secured an order from the Senate
for the printing of the commissions re-
port.
There are three general propositions
in this broad plan. One is to establish
here the parole and probation systems
which are virtually identical in principle;
another is to create reformatory and
workhouse for different classes of Offend
ers who are not admitted to probation or
in decent condition for the custody of
those who are awaiting trial. The first
move is to give legislative authorization
for beginning work on the proposed re-
formatory and workhouse. An appropri-
alton of $4,000 for an addition to the
present workhouse awaits expenditure. 1t
can easily be applied to the new project,
if Congress will so legislate. If this is
not done the Commissioners are under
obligation to proceed with the construc-
ton of the new building. Thus the prac-
teal measure to be adopted is the writing
of a paragraph into the District appro-
priation bill authorizing the transfer of
this money to the new account, to be
expended in the purchase and partial de-
velopment of the tracts of land needed
for the reformatory and workhouse.
1t is not essential to wait until the new
institutions are in working order before
adopting the probation and parole sys-
TENS. The means of administering the
probation plan are simple, consisting Of a
probation officer and an assistant No
elaborate staff is necessary. The court
may adjudge a man worthy of leniency
and may command him to return to his
usual work in life, under strict surveil-
lance. He is put on honor. to a certain
extent, but the court does not relinquish
its power over him. Ii he conducts him.
self decently and honestly he is not mo-
Tested. If he lapses into bad habits or
neglects his duties or breaks the law
afresh he is taken again into custody and
required to serve his sentence. 1t is be-
lieved that not only will this plan relieve
the pressure upon the reformatory and
workhouse, but that it will prevent
heavy economic loss by restoring to the
ranks Of wage earners a large number
of men who under the present system are
for period rendered of no use whatever
in the performance of necessary work and
the maintenance of families. The parole
system Is simply the probation system
applied to men who have begun the serv-
ing of their terms and are regarded as
worthy Of chance to re-enter the field
OF honest labor.
Whether the probation and parole ideas
are locally adopted or not. the places Of
detention must be rendered fit for human
occupancy and the methods of treat
ment must be made more humane and
corrective. At present the District is
doing nothing whatever to reform it's
lawbreakers. It's institutions. on the
contrary. are calculated to prevent the
redemption Of those who retain the least
semblance of manliness and the smallest
degree OF self-respect. This is not a
problem to be safely postponed from ses-
sion TO session. Its solution is impera-
lively required now in the interest of
society