Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-01-03
THENEW SYSTEM
OF NAVAL PUNISHMENT
Experiments in Disciplinary Re-
form Are Being Carried Out.
IDEA OF THE NEW SYSTEM.
Cases Which Warrant Good Use Of
Clemency---Men On Trial.

1t is safe to say that naval men all
over the world will watch with interest
the experiments in disciplinary reform
which are being carried on in our navy
at present.
Judging from the facts set forth in
the report of the Judge Advocate Gen
eral of the Navy, summary of which
has been published in this paper of
recent date, the forms now in force
representing an attempt to lend to the
necessarily sterner measure of military
discipline some of the spirit which ami
mates the new theories of penologists
in civil life.
The idea represents, in fine, the
adaptation to the naval service of the
theory of the indeterminate and sus-
pended sentence, which has proved
generally successful in the administra-
tion of civil justice, notably with the
ToU0Ecr offenders And il is eveidently
at this class that the navy aims in its
efforts to restore offenders to an honor
able footing, with the least disgrace
commensurate with the gravity of the
offense committed
The idea of the new system, says the
report, was based upon the theory,
first, that discipline would be improved
if men guilty of the most common Of
fenses should be punished by reduction
of pay for varying periods rather than
by Imprisonment. with the added pros
pect of recovering full pay by exem-
plary conduct land, second, that discip-
line would be improved by summarily
removing from the service undesirable
men, and that such summary dismiss
al from the service for many offenses
would be quite as effective, more hui
name, and more economical than i'm
prisonment of the offenders.
If the offender completes his enlist
ment in such manner as to earn an
honorable discharge, the total amount
of pay deducted is given him when dis
charged. If his conduct during the
remainder of his enlistment does not
earn for him an honorable discharge,
but entities him to an ordinary dis
charge, he is given, when discharged,
one-half of the pay deducted and with
held, while, If he does not earn an
ordinary discharge, the total amount of
pay deducted and withheld becomes an
absolute forfeiture and is not given to
him in whole or in part"
Under the new system, delinquents
are divided into four classes-1, Grim
inals sent to state prisons, 2; men con-
victed for purely naval offenses, re-
curing imprisonment; 3, detentioners:
~. nj lor
Naval prisoners are kept in the regular
naval prisons, wear prison garb and
perform hard labor; but under the new
disciplinary system, if they go through
the one-third of their sentences with
good-conduct records, they are eligible
to promotion to the status Of deten-
TONERS. Men under the head of deten-
TONERS are confiened on board of dis
ciplinary ships and are composed of
two general classes, youthful offenders
without criminal intent, and naval
prisoners, such as have been described
above and who have won promotion to
the higher ranking.
Detentioners wear the navy uniform,
and instead of hard labor, they go
through the regular routine of drill
, work. to the end that if they win res
toration to liberty they may resume
their places in the service without hav-
ing had their efficiency impaired Men
whose conduct as detentioners is sat
isfactory are released after service of
one-half of their sentences and they
| are placed on probation on board dis
/ ciplinary ships While on probation
they receive pay, liberty, etc., and are
/ in the same position as any enlisted
men in the service, except that any
serious infraction of the rules involves
an instant return TO hard labor as a
\ naval prisoner or to the status of de-
tentioner in the service
Upon completing two-thirds of their
| terms of imprisonments, with good rec
ords. men on probation automatically
are returned to duty without conditions
J and the blots on their past are consid-
cred wiped out The fourth class pro-
bationers at large, consist of men sen
( fenced by general court martial for
military offenses approximately the
! same as those which formerly involved
sentences to disciplinary ships or bar
z
/ racks They are cases which warrant
| the belief that he offenders viii make
good use of clemency, and therefore
/ the punishment consists Of the with
| holding Of one-half OF the monthly pay
fir periods of from six months to
| one year
The system has not been in operation
sufficiently long enough to enable the
service. much less persons outside oi
I it, to pass final Judgment, but the
Judge Advocate Generals report states
that the great majority of commanding
| officers whose experience with it has
4 been sounded, replied in its favor
One efficient result obtained through
it is the instant discharge from the ser
vice OF men who prove after trial TO be
( useless as material for the navy.