Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-25
S|DDONS CR|T|C|SES
PRISON METHODS
Commissioner Tells Sunshine
Society Present Penal
System Is Lacking.

The present method Of combining pris-
oners in the jails and penitentiaries OF
this country was denounced by Commits
sioner Siddons in an address on Penal
Servitude' before the Sunshine Society
yesterday afternoon at the Raleigh Ho-
tel
The prison methods used at Sing Sing,
N. Y. where. he said. 1.6OO prisoners are
confined in cells three feet wide and
seven feet deep. sometimes in solitary
confinement, were used as an example oy
the Commissioner as the wrong method
of penal servitude. He declared that un-
der such conditions a prisoner is worse
when he comes out than when he entered
the institution. He said the prison COM
mission Is of this same opinion.
Commissioner Siddons said the prison
ers upon being released from the various
institutions, instead Of being Stunned and
lost to society. should again be permitted
to attain the social places they. occupied
said. is the only wise, sound and sane
method.
For Model Penitentiary.
The Commissioner told the audience that
District government near the present
workhouse at Occoquan, Va He said
that it is the intention OF the authorities
to make it the model one OF the country.
The education of the blind in the Dis
trict also was discussed by Commissioner
Siddons. He said that the Commissioners
are now endeavoring to establish sys-
tenn of education for the blind.
Judge Latimer of the Juvenile Court
al he a
Of Washington are satisfied to allow the
Juvenile Court to remain powerless to
accomplish the important work incident
to it's jurisdiction the people of Wash
ington must interest themselves IN the
institution in order that the present
meager and wholly inadequate proviS-
ions be remedied.
Probation Officers Needed.
Good Juvenile Court work means good
probation work" he said. This has been
hopeless in the past because OF the in
sufficient force of probation officers.
When I took charge of the court there
were $50 children on probation and three
probation officers to look after them.
That made the situation bad enough. but
what made 1t worse than hopeless was
the fact that these probation officers also
had to make investigation Of the children
brought into court ana TO DO all tnelr
own clerical work"
He said that in the National Capital
only one-third of what is needed to meet
the problem of delinquent children Is pro-
vided. He said he has asked for eight
probation officers, a new detention house
and better housing of the court
Mrs. G. L. Peckham vice president of
the society, presided and introduced the
speakers. Mrs. Elizabeth Walbridge. as
representative of the Federation of WOm-
ems Clubs, told of a proposed luncheon
for the benefit of q building fund for a
new home for the federation and asked
two members of the society be appointed
to take charge of table.
Tells of Work Done.
Mrs. Sanford Taylor. president Of the
hospital board of the society, gave a
report in which she told of the work
done by her committee during the sum-
mer vacation. Mrs. E. Richard Gasch.
the secretary, gave a BRIEF history of
the society and told of some of the work
accomplished toward bringing sunshine
into the lives of unfortunates. Miss
Jane Fishback gave piano solo, Mrs.
L. H. Howard made a report on the con-
dition Of the Florence Crittenton. Home.
work of the Daughters of the American
Revolution in trying to obtain an ad-
ditional probation officer for the Juvenile
Court. The work of the day nursery was
described by Mrs. William Andrews, and
Mrs. Ellis Logan. president of the Dis
trict Federation Of Women's Clubs, made
q brief address.