The Washington herald., 1909-03-04
WANTS NO MORE
FEDERAL CONYHIIGGTTSS !
MoundSyille Nay Close Doors
to Washington Prisoners.
RECOMMENDED By HADDOx
Legislature of West Virginia Is
Urged 20 Bar Federal Convicts.
asserted They Create Dissension
Among State COnvicts and Harm
the Youthful Prisoners.
spsaal to Tbs Washington H,r.ld

sIs1al 70 Tne Washington Herald
Wheeling. ". Va. March s. - Among
the recommendations made BY the special
committee Of the legislature for the In
yestigation OF State institutions is one
urging the dlscontlnuance Of keeping
United States prisoners at the Mounds
vile penitentiary. IN support Of this rec
ommendation the committee submits
statement from former warden. C E.
Haddox. showing that the keeping OF
these prisoners in the prison al Mounds
vile has a bad effect on the state prison.
srs
The warden stated thst the United
States government had never made a
contract with the prison. and, having no
contract. takes away the men without
days notice. 50 that the prison authori-
ties are in a continusI uncertainty as TO
what they propose 10 do. The warden
informed the committee that the govern
ment was figuring on transferring a num-
Der Of the men 10 other prisons. II having
announced It to be its policy not 10 have
over two hundred men IN any one prison
al the same time.
About the effect these men have on the
other prisoners the former warden said:
Detriment 20 Prison Discipline.
'IH every way, except a financial one.
Federal prisoners are a great detriment
10 the prison They form distinct class.
and In many ways demand and get bet
ter treatment
There is no State parole law affecting
Federal prisoners. and since have been
here but three Federal prisoners have
been pardoned As a result they have
none OF the incentives for good be
havior that are held out 70 State men,
and they give Us infinitely more trouble
than all our State men. although they
number less than one-third Of the Popula-
tio1.
Eighty per cent Of them are the lowest
class OF negroes found in Washington.
ard are inconceivabIy vile. OF the other
20 per cent q large number are profes-
sionsl burglars, porch climbers, diamond
thieves. and forgers, who go from city
to city. round into Washington for the
Congressional season and are picked up.
Drill Youths in Crime.
Many OF our prisoners are young men
who in t5oughtlessness. Or when intoxi-
Gated. committed their first crime. They
would. under proper conditions. be re-
6eemabie, but asSociating with these
hardened criminals. who glory in recount
ing their criminal escapades, these young
men are drilled in crime. and go out edu-
caIed for desperate deeds
I can recall many specific cases OF
comparatively innocent young men. who
went OUt TO begin az once an amazing
LIE Of desperate crime. after the tuteIsge
Of these professionals.
The question Of whether this lnstitu-
ton should have any Federal prisoners at
al should have th@ serious thought OF
your committee. Ny personal belief Is
that only our own people should be per
mitted within thsse walls. We would
then have over 500 prisoners Of our own.
Prisoners 10 be redeemed must have
much personal individual treatment from
tie chaplain, the warden. and other Of
GERS. Surely, over 500 men are all tl.at
could receive proper personal treatment.
especially as We now have but So cells.
and but one person should be placed IN
one cell. and We have reached the lint
OF cell construction.
I urge you 70 study this question care
fully. 70 the end that the legislature
snail say whether existing uncertain and
unsatisfactory conditions as 10 the United
States prisoners are 10 continue"