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


tof the president, and The negro was
pardoned.
By special arrangement with tne
Judge Of the juvenile court In WASH
E4ns1on. Mr.. Whitaker has secured the
for year instead OF for thirty days
SIX months OF this sentence Is spent
at OccoQuan and for the remaining SIX
months position for the prisoner Is
secured N Washington, and ne y
paroled TO Superintendent WHITAKER:
In about eiShg per cent OF the cases
in which this method has been uteo:
the prisoner has continued TO hoto
his job and support his family.
Under the old system OF sentenclns
men charged with non-supporr s1or
thirty days. nothing was accom-
iplished. The man was sent back 20
the city without a job and without a
cent Furthermore. he haG no- ocsH
kept at Occoquaa long enough to pc
Influenced Nv conditions there In Sic
months. however. he IS almost snyar@
Iiably cured OF the habit which made
him unable TO support his family,
whether it was whiskey or drugs ne
lis then sent back to the city with the
assurance OF employment and In the
pest Of health The superintendent
\ OF Occoquan seldom walks half doz-
ZEN blocks in Washington without nav
ing several men stop him and 4halle
hands. and thank him for having re-
stored them to efficiency and self
respect.
There car be no doubt but what
large numbers OF men have been
cured Of both alcoholism and drug az
diction at occoquan- Those who are
In a very weakened physical condition
are placed under the care OF ply
fsician and given an occasional sttmu-
liant until they are well able to work
Outdoor exercise and a regular LIE
do the rest nfr Whitaker asserts
that he will guarantee to cure eighty
per cent OF all cases Of chronic alco-
holism and drug addiction If he IS al
flowed to keep the men for two years
| This brings us to the question OF
the indeterminate sentence. MI Wit
takers complete theory OF prison
comprises a combination Of work
house, reformatory and pen1ten-
tiary. He would have all prisoners.
no matter for what they were SEN
fenced. or for how long. sent to the
wo-khouse for observation by board
OF scientific men. If found 4ncorri-
gible. they would be sent to the penl-
tertiary for confinement. II capable
! OF learning a trade and becoming ce-
cent citizens. they would so to the re-
formatory for training. II sentenced
for short time. or If old or tncapac-
itated. they would stay at the work
house. In any case. the length OF
their sentence and their method OF
treatment would be scientifically de-
termined by the prison board
The first step toward the realization
Of this plan is to secure the tndeter
min ate sentence. AS the prison IS
now conducted. fifty per cent OF the
men sent to Occoquan come back lat
er to serve another term. Mr. Whit
taker confidently asserts that II they
were sent upon an indetermtnate SEN
tence so that he could keep them as
long as he pleased not more than
twenty per cent would ever come back.
Drug addicts and DRINKS 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 will be an
other step in the completion OF this
model prison system, Will be under
construction this summer. The route
for an electric railway which IS toI
bring all supplies from the Potomac
| river to the prison Is now being sur
veyed-
This IS by no means complete ac-
count of this remarkable institution
| Its womenIs department alone. whicc
| is entirely separate from that of The
men, would furnish material for an
article. But enough has been said to
show that it is truly the realization OF
an ideaI-the ideal Of a prison where
society treats the criminal andsvag-
rant not as an erring member to be
punished. but as an ai1fng one to be
helped back to the ranks of good Cit
izenship-
Siam has 1o7 postofhces under df-
rect control OF its postal department.
--------
In