Evening star., 1915-06-08
URGES |NDETERM|NATE
SENTENCE FOR DISTRICT
1000 Fewer Persons Would Go to
0ocoquan Yearly, Says In
stitution's Head.
Statute Needed to Perfect Penal Sys-
TENS Workings, Mr.. Whitaker
Tells Monday Evening Club.

Two thousand fewer persons annu-
ally will go down the river to serve
sentences in the workhouse at Deco
guam II the District is provided with
an effective indeterminate sentence and
parole system.
This statement was made by supt.
William H. Whitaker of the work
house in an address last night before
the Monday Evening Club. The club
held a special meeting in the assembly
purpose of discussing the recent ma
tional conference on charities and cor
rections held in Baltimore.
Many delegates to the conference
came to Washington to visit the work
house, which is the only institution of
its kind in the United States. Practi-
cally without exception they pledged
themselves to endeavor to obtain simi-
lar institutions for the care Of short
term prisoners in their own states.
What Is Needed.
All that is needed to bring the Dis
tricts system for the care Of this class
of prisoners to the point of highest
efficiency is an indeterminate sentence
and parole law, SO that inmates can
be retained until they have been con-
Whitaker told the Monday Evening
Club members.
Six thousand commitments are now
made to OccoQuan annually, he said.
An indeterminate sentence and parole
system would reduce this number to at
least four thousand and would be a
big factor in reducing crime and i'm
morality, the workhouse official stated.
Mr.. Whitaker has prepared q draft
Of such a Law, and effort will be made
to obtain action upon it by Congress at
its next session. The Monday Evening
Club ts on record as favoring tho re-
form and will endeavor to bring it
favorably to the attention Of Congress-.
Criticises School System.
Criticism was made by Mr. Whitaker
of the present tendency to teach chill
dren in the schools things which they
should learn in their homes The
speaker referred specifically to the
teaching of domestic science. He de-
clared that If more home life and home
instruction were given children there
would be less need for juvenile courts
and boards Of childrens' guardians
Ninety five Washingtonians were
registered at the Baltimore conference,
among them ]. L. Solly. manager OF
the board of chiidrens guardians, who
also spoke at last nights meeting. He
declared that Washington has only one
visitor to every 800 children who are
wards of the board. In Boston, he
pointed out. there is one visitor to
every forty children wards. Mr.. Sully
urged the club to aid the board of chill
dren's guardians in obtaining authority
and funds for the employment of a
larger force of visitors.
Others Who Spoke.
Others who spoke were George 8
Wilson. secretary of the board of char
ities: Mrs. Archibald Hopkins. Dr. F. J
McKelway. secretary of the southern
national child labor committee; c. w
Skinner. superintendent of the Indus
trial Home School: Miss Estelle Wheel
er. superintendent of the Washington
Diet Kitchen: Miss F.. G. Fox, super
intendent of the Instructive Visiting
Nurse Society; Mrs. J. II. Finley, presi-
dent of the Georgetown Social Center
Miss Bessie Kibbey of the diocesan
Unord. All of the speakers told of the
various sessions of the conference
which they attended
Walter s. Unord. secretary of the As
ISOLATED Charities and newly elected
president Of the Monday Evening Club
presided It is expected that much o1
the information developed by the con
ference will be used by the club in the
formation of reforms to be advocated
| when Congress again convenes.