Evening star., 1917-09-22
ASKSREFORMSFOR
D. c. PENAL FARM
Superintendent's Report Rec
ommends centering the Re-
sponsbility In One Official.
FOR WATERPoWER SITES

fUk WAIEkPUWEK SIZES
Recommendations for important admin
istrative changes, an indeterminate SEN
tence law and development OF water
power site are contained in the annual
report Of William H Whitaker. super
intendent, on the operations during the
past year Of the District reformatory,
workhouse and female department of the
workhouse. the three institutions occupy
ing adjoining tracts at Lorton and Oc-
coQuan. Va, and comprising what is
known as the District penal farm.
Declaring that the best interests of the
farm demand that there shall be no divid-
ed responsibility, Mr. Whitaker proposes
that the man standing between the Com
missioners and the institutions shall be
known as the general superintendent, and
that his salary shall be $4,000 a year
with living expenses. He also recon-
mends creation of the following positions
General physician for the farm, $500
per annum and expenses; chief engineer,
$500 and expenses: chief electrician,
$1,000 and expenses, and superintendent
of the commissary department, $1,000 and
expenses.
Our experience for the past seven
years in the construction of the physical
side of the farm and in our admins
tration of the three departments as
stated above" asserts the report, CON
vinces US that with this organization
permanently fixed by the Commission
ers through Congress 1t will give an
IDEAL administrative force for the proper
operation Of the institutions"
Put Responsibility in One Man.
The report continues that there are
SO many interests looking to the eco
nomical and proper management of the
farm that it would be impracticable to
divide the responsibilities and have a
manager for each institution. but that
with general superintendent in
charge friction would be eliminated
and one man could be held responsible
to the Commissioners
After reviewing conditions in general,
the reports makes specific recon-
mendations with respect to the three
branches OF the farm. Mr.. Whitaker
asks the Commissioners to include in
the next estimates an item for a work
ing capital for the manufacturing in
dustries Of the reformatory and work.
house. Under this proposed plan Con-
gress would set aside a certain fund
and all moneys received from the sale
OF products or manufactures of the re-
formatory would be credited toward
the fund. At the close of the year. II
there should be a balance after the
amount advanced by Congress has been
onset by the receipts, 1t shall be turn
ed into the Treasury to the equal credit
of the United States and District gov
ernments.
The tndeterminate sentence and pa
role law has been recommended in
be made at the session Of Congress be-
ginning in December to get action On
this long advocated reform.
Three Reasons for Parole.
The release Of prisoners by a parole
board established under an indeter-
inmate sentence law should be based
First. That they keep the rules of the
institution and have finished their ed
ucation and trade to a point where they
are capable Of going out and maintain
ing themselves by honest labor.
Second. That the parole board should
be satisfied that there is a reasonable
that they will go forth and
keep their parole agreement and after
ward keep the law.
Third. That their release on parole is
not contrary to the public sense of the
from which they were SEN
fenced.
On the ground that it will effect a
saving Of $4,000 annually in the cost
of fuel, Mr.. Whitaker strongly urges
the harnesstng of the waterpower in
Ocooquan creek. at the very doors of
the workhouse- He proposes an invests
CATION to determine the cost of estab-
fishing such an improvement.
Honor System Works Well.
The superintendent declares that the
honor system in the reformatory, where
long-term prisoners are kept, is work.
ing out as satisfactorily as in the
workhouse. which houses the short-ter1n
offenders.
From the opening of the institution.
November II, 1915. to June 80. 1917. the
end Of the fiscal year. we have handled
l1S commitments. says the report
OF this number fifteen attempted to
escape from US. Six of the fifteen have
been returned to the institution. leaving
nine at large"
Considering the crude conditions un-
der which the institution was opened
and that most of them were brought
from old established institutions, such
as the government prisons at Atlanta
and Leavenworth. where employment
and hard labor is not provided, the ex-
perimehtal stage OF handling these peo-
pie successfully in the open is past
continues the report.
We are more confident now that
with the improved conditions that are
coming into our management and or
ganiZatton from day to day our per
cent of loss in escapes wiz grow less
each year: that the great benefit to
society. which should be the first
thought In the handling OF criminals.
and the benefit to the inmates in phys
ical development, education and mora!
instruction Will be improved as the
years go on. If the same support from
the Commissioners and Congress is
given the management has been
given 1t in the past"
The report discusses the industries
already started and shortly to be COM
menced at the reformatory. 1t states
that with the tentative plans as now
drawn and under consideration it will
cost in actual money about s250OOo
and in time about ten years to provide
and equip the permanent reformatory
plant. BY that time. Mr.. Whitaker
estimates. it will represent value OF
81 500, 900.
400 Acres Under Cultivation.
The report for the workhouse shows
that this institution now has about
400 acres under cultivation and that
fertilizer brought down from Wash
ington at the rate of about 10000 tons
a year is beginning to have its effect In
AN increased yield. Workhouse form prod