The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-25

trusted with degree of liberty under
supervision.
Our own penitsntiary and state
farm show examples OF these two
classes OF prisoners In two corre-
spending types OF institutions. To
deal adequately with ali the prisoners
there must be an institution better
taserr-tite city and county faifs. This
amount spent for the maintenance and
upkeep OF n farm colony would do at
least two things: % 1t would restore
to society a greater percentage OF
be the means OF enriching the state
treasury from the proceeds of the
work OF the misde1neanants.
In view OF these facts we respect
fully recommend that the state buy
tract OF a thousand or more acres
OF land and establish a farm colony
for misdemeanants. Use the labor OF
short-tsrm and indeterminate sentence
prisoners to erect simple one-story
frame buildings similar to those at
Occoquan. and employ In general farm
work. road building. etc, all the men
necessary to such work, the overflow
20 be placed In the road camps
throu ghcut the state and used in re
pair work or TO be hired to farmers
during busy seasons Of planting and
harvesting
Filming System Futile.
/ The report vigorously exposed the
futiiity OF the system of imposing fines
on delinquent women as they are
promptly released by ''procurers" and
are able to continue their UNIV hoissonie
activities, many OF them" In fact re-
a erding the fines as sort of license
Me only remedy for the situation It IS
urged is the placing of the women on
detention farms.
Discussing generally the nning
system the report says;
AS has been shown by recent
study OF the jail system 81 per cent
-of misdem eanants are sent to Jail be-
cause they own Neither money nor
property. Therefore the Jan becomes
10 them dehtors' prison. although i'm
prisonment for debt has loag since
been adjudged Illegal.
The anlnE system "a II Is now ope-
rated should be abolished For light
offensss probation should be substi
tuted for fines. and II fine is deemed
necessary in some cases, and the de-
linQuent is poor and unable 20 pay.
he should be placed on probation and
allowed TO ray his fine In small weekly
instsllruents. II such rrobationer be-
comes backward in the payment OF In
stallnents or II he fails to pay the tns
within the time limit given. and cam
not show good reason for such failure.
he should be brought into court on
charge Of contempt OF court and
then IL convicted should he sent on
the roads or TO farm colony or 9TH
erwise required to work out his fine,
In no case should there be at the
time OF the original conviction an al
tentative OF hns or imprisonment.
Suck an alternative is nothing less
than class legislation. ANY ofTense
worthy OF the stigma and disgrace of
jail or penitenttary Imprisonment can
never be cancelled by the payment Of
n fine or the furnishing bond for
good behavior or for release on bail.
II drunkenness, disorderly conduct.
speeding. larceny. etc. should he pen
allied by a jail sentence, no man, no
matter his social standing or wealth,
shoold he allowed to buy his freedom
II fine can ayenee an Insult to the
majesty of the law ana reform the
delinquent person then no man no mat
ter how poor he may be. should be
sen to prison for the non -payment Of
fine"
Rev. s. c, Hatcher is chairman and
Rev. J. T. Mastin IL secretary OF the
BOARD.