Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-10-14

VXTASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. GA man who
w has received life sentence at the hands
of a cOurt-martia may be restored to the
colorS in good standing within year by The
system of ''Salvaging' offenders which is now
followed in the military prisons in this country.
This is the answer which the officers in
charge of these prisons make to the accuSa-
ton that court-martial sentences are unduly long
and hard. sentence in military prison is a
tentative sentence. 1t may be Shortened not
only by the mans good conduct as in other
prisons, but as a result of a study OF the mans
mental and physical condition and his record as
a soldier and civilian.
The army no longer aims 10 punish its Of
tenders, but to make the best possible use of
them as human material. In its disciplinary
barracks" as the military prisons are now
called it has definitely abandoned the punitive
method for the reconstruction.
The methods followed in these prisons as
described by the officers in charge of them, are
thoroughly modern, They are based upon the
most recent discoveries ir pSychiatary and
penology. Some of the ideas that have been
worked out by the army might profitably be
applied in civilian prisons
This article is not based upon study Of
the prisons themselves, but is merely an outline
of the army method, based upon an interview
with officer of experience.
1t is necessary to explain to the layman, in
military prisons in this country. The govern
ment has three disciplinary barracks, one at
Fort Leavenworth, one at Alcatraz, Cal, and
one at Governors Island, New York. To these
prisons are sent the purely military offenders,
such as men who have disobeyed ORDERS gone
to sleep on dutv or been absent without leave
or have deserted. Here, also, are sent those
guilty of minor crimes and miSdemeanorS, such
as fighting, drunkenness and petty theft. 1t is
in these disciplinary barracks that the recon-
Structive method of handling prisoners finds its
fullest
The government has three penitentiares, one
at LeavenWorth, one at Atlanta, and one at
Mcneil Island near Tacoma Wash. To these
institutions are sent the men in the service
who are felOnS--thoSe who convicted of
murder, grand larceny, and other crimes of the
more serious character.
In addition to these two classes of prisons,
the government has three war prison barracks.
where interned enemy aliens and few priS-
onerS of war have been held. Most of these
have now been deported, and these prisons
are no longr an important part of the system:
In all, the army has now about $500 general
prisoners in the disciplinary barracks and about
$50 in the federal penitentiarieS.
When a man in the military service Cf the
United SttaeS is convict of an OffenSe, and
sent to the disciplinary barracks, he is first of
all given thorough examination. mental phys
ical and pSychiatrical. If he is eeeble-mnded,
neurotic, or insane; or if some organic disease
is responsible for his trouble, this examination
is designed to discover the trouble.
The man is then asked for the addresses of
persons who know him, preferably of men tor
whom he has worked. A form letter is sent to
each of these, asking certain questions about
the man. Similar letters are sent to the Off
GERS of the company in which he lived. Thus,
before man has been many weeks in the dis
ciplinary barracks, the officers in charge have
pretty thorough knowledge of him. If he is a
normal man who has been driven to crime by
some accident of fate or environment, the ex-
animation of him will reveal his normality and
his record as civilian will corrobOrate the =
animation. If a nervous breakdown is response
BILE for his trouble, the doctors will scarcely
fail to ascertain the fact and prescribe the right
treatment. If, on the other hand, he is case
of dementia praecox, who could probably never
make an adjustment either to military or civilian
life, his diagnosis, coupled with his record, will
reveal the fact, and he may be sent % the gov
eminent asylum.
The data gathered by this study of the mn