The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-04-10
SMALL NUMBER
MEN CONVICTED
Only About 5000 Out of an
Army of 1000, 900 Given
Severe Sentences
MANY OF THESE SEN
FENCES SHORTENED
Half Number of Men Had
Criminal Records Before
Entering the Army

New York, April l0.-Heavy court.
martial sentences of life Imprisonment
or such terms as 20 and 80 years are
reduced to minimum of months by
plan permitted under army regulations
which has been introduced into the dis
ciplinary barracks at Governors Island
by the commandant, Colonel John T..
Hunt. The plan involves far-reaching
scheme by which the soldier prisoner
may not only return to civil life free
from the stigma of imprisonment bur
better equipped physically and educa-
tionally to take up the battle of life.
To explain the working of the scheme
and of the care of prisoners a party of
newspapermen were invited to visit the
island under the auspices of the national
war work council of the Y. NJ c. A.
The council is cooperating with the
military authorities in the educational
work being carried among the prisoners
There are between 600 and 700 prison
ers at present in the barracks. Some of
the men are from overseas and about
half OF them are serving sentences for
military otfenses, including one life term,
several OF 20 years and few for less
periods. What these sentences really
mean was explained by Colone Hunt
I'm practice" he said, "men serving TO-
20, 30-year, or life sentences are really
sentenced TO indeterminate terms. When
man comes here we make careful in
vestigation of his whole life from boy
hood. All the circumsts noes involving
his offense are reviewed and if his gen
eral record is and has been good he can
apply for restoration after three
months. Such an application is rarely
refused, and within six months from the
time he was convicted he may rejoin his
! regiment TO complete his service and re-
ceive an honorable discharge.
There has been a good deal Of crit
icism of the heavy sentences imposed by
courts martial, but / believe it has been
largely due to the public misunderstand-
ing the facts Such sentences have been
imposed purely because of their deter
rent effect, and | am convinced that they
have saved thousands of young men
from getting into trouble"
The extraordinary small proportion of
men convicted of serious offenses in the
American forces was emphasized by Col
Hunt. "0ut of about 100000 men who
joined the eolors there are only about
5000 in the three military prisons at
| Leavenworth, Alcatraz and here Under
the draft system we got into the army
great number of men with criminal
records in civil life. We know 5000 of
these by name, and half of that number
are included in the 5000 now in the three
military prisons, Colonel Hunt said.
One of the principal features of the
rehabilitation scheme introduced into
Fort Jay under Colonel Hunt is the
"honor system" Two companies have
been formed of prisoners with good rec
! ords and these men are put on their
honor, without any interference from
the prison officials. They occupy bar
rack apart from the fort, work under
their own non-comm issioned officers and
even detail their own guards
! Under the educational portion OF the
prison curriculum, largely in the hands
! Of Y. NJ. c. A. officials. classes are held
| in various trades, such as printing, rug
making laundry work and electrical in
stallation. There are also classes of a
purely scholastic nature ranging from
elementary education to business Eng
1 lish, craftsmanship and French.