The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-16
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
Blu
FREDERIC J. HAGkIN. D4recaaE.
Wass1ngtan, q. @
HOW ARMY PRISONS REMAKE
MIN

HOW ARMY PRISONS REMAKE
MEN.
Washington. D. c., Oct. ia man
who has received a life sentence at
the hands of a court martial may be
i restored to the colors in good standing
within a year by the system of sal
vaging'' offenders which is now fol-
lowed in the military prisons in this
country.
This is the answer which the Off
GERS in charge of these prisons make
to the accusation that court martial
sentences are unduly long and hard
A sentence in a military prison is a
tentative sentence. 1t may be short
1 ened, not only by the mans good con-
F, duct as in other prisons, but as re-
suit of study of the mans mental
| and physical condition and his record
| as soldier and as a civilian.
| The army no longer aims to punish
fits offenders, but to make the best
1 possible use of them as human ma
| terial. In its disciplinary barracks.
| as the military prisons are now called,
it has definitely abandoned the punt
| tive method for the reconstructive.
! The methods followed in these pris-
ons, as described by the officers in
! charge of them are thoroly modern.
They are based upon the most recent
! discoveries in psychiatry and pencil
ogy 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
an officer of experience.
1t is necessary to explain to the
| layman. in the first place, that there
are three types of military prisons in
this country. The government has
| three disciplinary barracks, one at
| Fort Leavenworth, one at Alcatraz
Calf, and one at Governors Island,
| New York To these prisons are sent
| the purely military offenders, such as
| men who disobeyed orders, gone to
sleep on duty, or been absent without
| leave or have deserted. Here, also,
are sent those guilty of minor crimes
| and misdemeanorS, such sighting,
drunkenness and petty theft. 1t is in
these disciplinary barracks that the
| reconstructive method of handling
| prisoners finds its fullest use.
The government has three peni-
! tentia ries Leavenworth one at At
| lanta, and one at Mcneil Island, near
Tacoma, Washington. To these insti-
| buttons are sent the men in the service
who are felons-tEose who are con-
victed of murder, grand larceny, and
other crimes of the more serious CHAR
acter.
In addition to these two classes of
prisons. the government has three war
prison barracks, where interned
| enemy aliens and few prisoners of
war have been held. Most of these
! have now been deported, and these
/ prisons are no longer an important
part of the system. In all, the army
has now about $500 general pris-
| oners in the disciplinary barracks and
about $50 in the federal penitentiaries.
a
| of the United States is convicted OF. an
| offense. and sent to the d1scfphnaryl
barracks, he is first of all ~gtvent-a
thoro examination mental, physical,
and psychiatrieaI If he is feeble
minded, neuroUc, or insane; or If some
organic disease is responsible for his
trouble. this examination is designed
to discover the trouble. 4
The man is then asked for the /
dresses of persons who know him,
preferably of men for 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 officers of the company in
which he served. Thus, before man
has been many weeks in the disciple
nary barracks, the officers in charge
have a pretty thoro knowledge of him.
If he is a normal man who has been
driven to crime by some accident of fa.e
or enVironrn ent the examination of him
will reveal his normality and his rec
ord as a civilian will corroborate the
examination II a nervous breakdown
is responsible for his trouble, the doc
tors will scarcely fail to ascertain the
fact and prescribe the right treatment.
If on the other hand, he is a 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 to the gov
eminent asylum.
The data gathered by this study of
the man and his record are sent to the
reviewing officer along with the rest
of the facts about the case. On the
strength of these data, the reviewing
officer may recommend clemency. A
man sentenced to the penitentiary
may be remanded to the disciplinary
barracks instead.
Furthermore this record will deter
mine the .treatm ent of the man in the
disciplinary barracks. for the prison
/ erS are divided into two classes. One
of these classes is known as the mum
bered men," while the other consti-
tutes the disciplinary battalion"
The mum bered men are those whose
records Indicate that it would prob
ably be useless to try to restore them
to active service, at least for the time
being. Their occupation in prison is
to work and to go to school. If iliit-
crate they are taught to read and write.
They are also taught trades Every
effort is made to fit them to take a
place in civilian life. After a man has
been in numbers for a while. Re
may be given chance in the disciple
nary battalion. He may, for example,
have been a drug addict, and have
conquered his vice in the prison. Or
he may have been a nervous wreck.
and have recovered.
The disciplinary battalion is the
crux of the system. 1t is at once a
training and a test of a mans fitness.
This battalion is organized like any