Evening star., 1919-03-30
WORK BEGINS SOON
ON REFORMATORY
Half If-MilIion-DoIIar Plant at
Lorton to Comprise
81 Buildings.
HONOR SYSTEM GOES ON

receive the approval of the penal
commission, construction of the per-
manent District reformatory, at Lor-
ton. Va, is slated to start during the
early part of April.
The honor system. as worked out
in the temporary institution at Lor-
ton, where the Districts long-term
prisoners are cared for, is to be per-
petuated in the new reformatory.
Lorton has been an experiment.
There have been escapes. but the
number would have been greater, the
commission believes. il the honor
system were not fundamentally right.
It has been tried out under rather
crude conditions. and the results
have not been disappointing.
Dormitories, Not Cells.
So, the new plant. like the existing
one. will consist of dormitories
instead of cells. There will be no
stockades or prison walls. Sunshine
and good air will be counted as
valuable as ever.
But, while the honor system is to
continue in force. danger of escapes
under the tentative plan worked out
will be minimized. The buildings
are to be grouped SO as to render
supervision less difficult.
A more important factor in reduc-
ing escapes is promised in the pro-
posed arrangement for two punish
ment rooms and two disciplinary
dormitories. Inmates who become un-
manageable will be sent to the pun
ishment rooms. Those whose offenses
are not SO serious will have some
of their liberties withdrawn by being
sent to the disciplinary dormitories.
Encouragement for Prisoners.
Prisoners who respond to the op-
portunities given them under the
honor system will be given every op-
portunity to forget that they are
doing time" They will have COM
Portable recreation and sleeping guar
ters, and will be made to feel that
society is interested in them and
wants to see them become real come
bac1Iss es&t
fore. whether they spend their time
in the cellar or. the parlor of this
new: home that going up for tisenf.
which. when completed, will repre-
sent an Investment of about half a
million dollars.
Ashford. Designed Plans.
Snowden Ashford. municipal archi-
tect, is the designer of the plans.
worked out in accordance with sug-
gestions from the penal commission,
consisting Of Commissioner Brown
low. John Joy Edison. president of the
board of charities, and Justice Staf-
ford Of the District Supreme Court.
1t remains for the commission, how
ever, to put it's final stamp of ap-
prova1 on the plans. This may be
done during the present week.
: Charles c. Foster, superintendent of
the District penal farm, which COM
prises both the reformatory and
the latter occupying an
tract. and Assistant Super
intendent Barnard, directly in charge
Of the reformatory, are the men the
commission will rely on to carry out
the plans.
81 Structures in Plan.
The site selected Is in front of the
existing group of buildings, which
are of frame construction. Brick and
stone will be used in the new build
lngs. Euch of the labor will be fur
nished by the inmates. All of the
brick will be made at the workhouse
plant and the stone will come from
the reservation. Thirty-one struc-
lures are planned to go up and they
will cover a. space about 1000 feet
square.
Mr.. Ashford has obtained a colonial
effect in the layout that dispels sug-
gestion of a penal institution The
main set of buildings has a quadran-
gle arrangement. The administration
building, at the front end of the quad
-angle, will be two stories high. On
It's right will be an assembly hall,
With a gallery and seating capacity
.or 1000; on it's left, a school build
ing, with four classrooms. The
will be. hanked on the
north and south by twelve dormito-
les, or six to each side. These will
oe rs by 100 feet, with capacity for
fifty men each.
The east end Of the quadrangle will
,e closed in with a mess hall, IS by
40 feet, having a capacity for 800.
back of the dining quar-
ers will be a kitchen. bakery and
;toreroom.
Second Group in Rear.
A second group of buildings, accord
nx to the present intentions, will be |
ocated zoe feet back of the first.
This will consist Of the two punish
nent rooms and two disciplinary
,alls, 80 by $50 feet each. In the ex-
RENE rear will be four buildings for
,ousing the shops and Industrial
rade schools. and q general store
DOM. Provision is made for a hos
,ital, to occupy a separate site.
UKRAlNIAN SHELLS KILL |
SCORES At LEMBERG |