Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-08-14
NAVY DETENTION CAMP
Department Issues Orders Intended
To Improve Discipline OF
Enlisted Men.
FOR SAILOR OFFENDERS.
To Enforce Discipline Enlistment
Is Prohibited.

/ Acting Secretary of the Navy Win
throp has issued orders establishing a
detention barracks or camp at Port
Royal, S. c., where enlisted men con-
victed of offenses against naval dis
cipline will be sent.
The system to be put in force is con-
| sidered by the department as exceed
| ingly important and one which will be
| of great benefit TO a large number of
| enlisted men who are at present sent
| to naval prisons. The objects of the
| system are: First, to prevent enlisted
men convicted of offenses solely
| against naval discipline from being
subjected to the stigma attached to
Imprisonment, and, second, to save to
/ the service a large number of such
men who give promise of becoming,
under proper discipline, desirable
members thereof.
Rigid discipline will be maintained
at the detention barracks. Enlisted
men confined there will wear the regu-
lar service uniform, and they will not
be known as prisoners as the term
is usually applied. They will be put
through carefully selected course
in service drills and instruction, so
that at the end of their detention
they may, if recommended as desir-
able, be returned to the service as
proficient as possible.
Those who observe excellent con-
duct while under detention will be
released at the expiration of two
thirds of the sentence, and then re-
stored to duty on probation at the
place of detention for observation
while not under restraint. Those who
observe good conduct will be released
at the expiration of three-fourths of
the sentence, and be restored to duty
on probation at the place of detention
for observation while not under re-
straint. Those whose conduct is be-
low good will be required to serve
their full time at the barracks, and
then be discharged in accordance with
the terms of their sentence, or as I'M
desirable.
Upon being released from confine-
ment in these detention quarters men
not discharged will be placed on pro-
baton at the place of detention al
lowed liberty, and given the same
amount of work and responsibility as
would be given them if placed on pro-
baton on board ship or at barracks.
No man, with the possible exception
of very few special cases, will be
placed on probation in the general SER
vice; that is, on board ship, a naval
station or in barracks.
The system of detention is regarded
by the Department as exceedingly i'm
portant, and it is expected that many
of the young men now sent to the ma
val prisons will be developed into de-
sirable members of the service. Many
of the young men who commit purely
military offenses are those who have
been in the service but a short time
and who do not realize the seriousness
of their offense. 1t is this class of
men the department hopes to save to
the service, and at the detention bar
racks they will be given every oppor.
tunity to redeem themselves. Only
men in whom the greatest confidence
is imposed, and of known excellent
| character, who will have beneficial
effect upon those sent to the barracks
will be detailed as guards, etc.
Men convicted of desertion from the
Navy or Marine Corps must in all
cases be sentenced to dishonorabIe dis
charge, and their re-enlistment is ex-
pressly prohibited by law. Those
convicted of crimes not of purely
military nature will be sent to one
of the following state prisons: Con-
cord, N. H., Wethersfeld, Conn, or
the California State prison at San
Quentin. Cal. Major Charles B.
Hatch, U. S. M. c., now in command
| of the naval prison at the navy yard,
Boston, Mass, will be placed in
charge of the detention barracks.