The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-06-12

a Sauae Deal For Gle Down and 0uI
Bv Fredelie D. HasHn-

,n, me Prisoners. Pont q view..


lof the president, and the negro was
pardoned-
BY special arrangement with the
judge Of rhe juvenile court in Wash
linston, sir Whitaker has secured the
Icommrtement OF nonsuppor cases
for year instead OF for thirty days
Six months Of this sentence is spent
/ at Occoouau and for the remaining SIX
months position for the prisoner IS
secured IN Washington, and he IS
tparoIed TO Superintendent WHITAKER
IN about eighty per cent of the cases
In which this method has been tr1ed.
the prisoner has Continued to holo
his Job and support his family
Under the old system Of sentencing
men charged with non-support for
thirty days. nothing was accom-
pdshed The man was sent back %
i the city without Job and Without
cent Furthermore. he hac no- Seca
kept AT Occoquan long enough TO be
Influenced by conditions there IN SIX
months. however, he Is almost lnyar
iably cured Of the habit which made
him unable to support his fanny.
whether 1t was whisky or drugs. He
is then sent back to the city with the.
assurance of employment and In the
ipest Of health The superintendent
/ of Occoquan seldom walks half ooz-
en- blocks in Washington without hay
Ing several men stop him and ShaEe
hands. and thank him for having re-
stored them to efficiency and self
There Can be no doubt but what
large numbers OF men have oeen
cured OF both alcoholism and drug ac-
diction at Occoquan. Those who are
! in very weakened physical condition
are placed under the care OF ply
sician and given an occasional sttmc-
LIANT until they are we'll able to work
Outdoor exercise and a regular life
/ do the rest Mr. Whitaker asserts
that he will guarantee TO cure eighty
per cent of all cases of chronic alco-
lowed to keep the men for two years
This brings us to the question OF
the indeterminate sentence Mr. Whit
takers complete theory OF a prison
comprises a combination Of work
house. a reformatory and peniten-
tiary. He would have all prisoners,
no matter for what they were sen
fenced. or for how long. sent to the
workhouse for observation by board
Of scientific men. If found incorri-
gibFe. they would be sent to the pen1-
Tertiary for confinement. II capable
of learning a trade and becoming de-
cent citizens, they would go to the re-
formatory for training. II sentenced
for short time or II old or tncapac-
itated. they would stay at the Work
house. In any case the length OF
their sentence and their method or
treatment would be scientifically de-
termined by the prison board.
The first step toward the realization
OF this plan Is to secure the 5ndeter-l
inmate sentence As the prison IS
now conducted. fifty per cent Of the
men sent to Occoquan come back lat
er 10 serve another term. MT WHIT
taker confidently asserts that II they
were sent upon an indeterninate SEN
tence 50 that he could keep them as
long as he pleased. not more than
twenty per centwould ever come back.
Drug addicfs and drunfS would be
reformed The sick would be put in
prime physical condition Employment.
would be found for all OF those cap
able OF supporting themselves.
The reformatory, which viii be an
other step in the completion OF this
model prison system, VIII be under
construction this summer. The route
for an electric railway which is to-
bring all supplies from the Potomac
river to the prison Is now being sur
yeyed-
This is by no means a complete ac-
count of this remarkable institution
It's women's department alone. whiccI
is entirely separate from that of the
men. would furnish material for an
article. But enough has been said to
show that 1t is truly the realization oi
an ideal-the ideal of prison whef4
society treats the criminal and vag-
rant not as an errinE member TO BE-
punished but as an allinG one to be
helped back TO the ranks OF good cit
izenship-
Siam has 1o7 postofnces under d.
rect control of its postal department