Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-08
BOARDS REPORT |ND|CTS
VIRGINIA PENAL SYSTEM
Charities and Corrections Body
Recommends Prison Farms In
stead of Pcnit cntiary.
WOULD CLASSIFY PRISONER.
Asserts Races and Physically Fit and
Unfit Now Nlinclc Frccly-Charges
OF Beating Aged DR.. Chamberlain
Are Not Sustained.

following an investigation, which be-
san with charges made las, March by
E. E. Duddins, president OF the Pri-
eoners' Aid Society, Washington. ID.
c. The report was made public, yes
terday by Governor Davis and The
statements and recommendations cover
many phases of the states penal sys-
Among tho outstanding claims and
Recommendations made by the board
are:
That the Virginia Peaifiens!ary
prisoners. whether misdemeanants or
felons. be confined 10 prison farms.
That the present plan of leavins mis-,
esnn,W is b Sss S9Te cd 'E an"
That regulations permitting prison
guards or officers 10 punish prisoners
for disohedienee' he so enansed AS
order in each and every case from
the superintendent.
Herd All Sorts Together.
That conditions at the state prison
farm are less encouraEinS than t"ose
the pen!tentiary. and that urgent
cons liberation and action is neces saTY.
That one OF the greatest sources Of
evil in Virginia penal institutions IS
that prisoners OF one race, many OF
whom have been convicted OF minor
cTenses. or are held because they are
unable 10 pay fine. are forced 10 as
soc!atc with all sorts OF criminals OF
snoihe- race. 10 work together in the
same groups and even 70 sleep IN inc
same tents. We herd all sorts OF men
together regardless OF their physical !.
mental or moral condition. says the
report. In many cases this system
or lack OF system, has produced an
almost hopeless s!tuation.
JaiIs schools of Crime.
Tina; = class.nca;.on system should
be adopted for prisoners. not only as
10 race, but as TO physical, mental
and moral conditions. making nects
sary separation OF diseased from the
healthy. teeble-minded from the nor
NAL. strong from the weak. therefore
not forcing weak men 10 dc work which
is difficult for the strong:
County and city ja:ls are termed as
schools of crime. and utterly without
excuse for existence
These are but a few OF the recon- :
mendations and claims made ~ the
report submitted TO the GOVERNOR
Ii is pointed out that there is an over.
tapping OF authority IN the control OF
nossiblc TO conduct uniform system
tending toward reformation instead oil
pure punishment Under the presen,
system the pcnitentiary is supervised
by a board Of directors, with the super
intendent as the executive officer. The
state Farm is mannEed by TINS same
ccutive officer. and prisoners are trans
fcrrcd from the prison TO the farm by
order OF the board of directors: Wcrk
or the roads is controlled by the peni
tcntiary supcrintendent and the Stat,
highway commissioner. Another board
of which the Governor is chairman, 4
composed OF the prison superintendent
and the Commissioner OF Agriculture
and has charge OF the lime GrindinI
plants The superintendent of the pen
itcntiary has no control over the pris
oners who are sent TO the state Prison
farm.
Charges Chamberlain Was Bcntcn.
The Charities BOARD recommends that
the entire system he so rcorEaniZcd AS
to place all State prisoners wholly and
directly under control of the State, all
authority TO ne conferred on one board
OF directors. functioninE through one
executive officer, TO serve at the VIII!
OF the directors.
Referring TO the charges made. by
budding in CONNECTION with the whip,
murderer, s!Nty-nNe years Old the re-
port OF the board states in part;
He tDuddinG) cited the case OF a
prisoner, Dr. Asa Chamberlain, .anc
states that Dr. Chamberlain was
cshained TO a cross. left suspended for
hours and he was not released until
soon as sufficiently recovered. he was
taken to the Whipping post and dashed.
and left a second time unconscious for
the same offense.
''Accord!n. to the evidence. no pris-
oner in the state Penitentiary has
ever been chaiTe1.f to il cross and j;
were punished by being thrown into
dungeon. As for the specific ease
cited by the complainant. the evide nee
shows that the prisoner, for violation
OF rules, was laid on mattress OF
the floor, one foot chained TO the
floor and the arms, which were eX-
tended in the form Of q cross hand.
cufed TO the floor. He was kept il
this position Two hours This occurred
on the 3rd day OF July. 1915. and il
he received the iogg!ng 70 which tn.
complainant referred. In this seconc
punishment he was given nfteen lashcs
with a leather strap which did no.
cause unconscioueness. the pr!sone;
was punished the second time for
,etnr,,ie, uJ . o. oNe'a''S anu a.
charges Not sustained.
al the conclusion Of the lnvegtiza
ton. the evidence was carefully s!r,c,
and the board unanimously dnrid.,
that tho COMMITMENTS charges war,
not sustained
THE. statute autho-izinp "a. ,,t,isb
ma,, ~ .l,,.il., II y - -