Evening star., 1920-09-15
CRIME DECREASES
IN DISTRICT UNDER
PROHIBITION ERA
Penal Institutions Head Re-
ports Large Reduction in
Cases Punished.

Crime is rapidly decreasing in the
District under the reign of prohibit
ton, according to the annual report
of Charles c. Foster, general super
intendent of penal institutions.
During the last fiscal year only s33
prisoners were sent to the workhouse
at Occoquan, as compared with 2.511
during the preceding twelve months
Husbands. judging from noa-sup-
port statistics. are finding home life
more inviting in Washington" the
superintendent tells the Commission.
ers. Five years ago, 100 recrean,
lAashandg
opening of the world war found 1s1
worthless husbands here. In 1916 the
number was $50, and in 1918 the num-
ber was ninety-eight. In 1919 the
number dropped to twenty-five. and
the last fiscal year. eighteen"
Reduces Crime to Minimum.
Supt. Foster says: Continuous and
more effective restriction of the sale
of liquor. narcotics and deadly wea-
pons will reduce crime almost to a
minimum"
Mr.. Fosters report tells how the pro-
hibition amendment has changed the
excuses given by prisoners for falling
into the hands of the law. He says:
Dating back to time no one is
able to definitely fix, the foremost rea-
son assigned by persons sent to the
workhouse has related to whisky. The
eighteenth amendment is, indeed, trans
forming even excuses. Seldom did one
hear an inmate ascribe his misfortune
to any cause other than a fondness for
liquor. But the older condition has
changed with the legal passing of the
bottle. For instance, men are saying
debt has led them astray and into the
tolls. The high cost of living promises
to be a standardized plea in extenuation
of pride, love of dress and desire not
to be surpassed in adornment or artifi-
cial beauty. The man said taxes as
sessed by the government were too
heavy, and, while he paid no income tax,
relative did. This denial of charity
workhouse became his abiding place.
Cure for Crime.
"No matter what the belief, it is a
certainty that prohibition enforce
ment is something of a crime pre-
ventive and crime cure. The record
here proves it, 1t has reduced the
population until now and then the
semblage responding to a call to do
nate money to an unpopular cause.
While it has greatly reduced the
working force here, it has, on the
other hand, made the sun shine in
many a home and put smile on
around workhouse because man.
power is lacking becomes negligible
as compared to the contentment and
happiness in places made desolate as
a result of an uncomfortable indul-
gence. When jails and warehouses
suffer census decrease the sum total
of human happiness is on the increase
But there will always be tric-
king stream of lawbreakers. it seems.
finding their way into a workhouse: /:
regulations. the bootlegger and lesser
offender will journey to and fro But
the mon who are SO shiftless that
they want their wives to support
them are less in number"
Improves Prisoners' Condition.
Mr.. Foster reports that the work
mouse is making gratifying progress
mental defects of prisoners as wen as
to improve them morally. With
restoration of health, he says, the way
is made easier to reform the wrong
doer.
only in recent years has medical
science specialized in the reformation
OF criminals. Surely, yet slowly, the
doctor is taking his rightful place
under the sensible and growing belief
that scientific treatment is the first
aid in many cases of crime-mental
and psychological system, the develop
ment of which foretells the answer to
the question of reforming criminals
and cleansing their physical bodies of
disease and degeneracy.
The District of Columbia work
house is doing work of this character,
and adds to its reputation and justifies
its acknowledged success in h0manely
handling offenders without the re-
striction of bolts or bars"
The workhouse will center it's future
activity on the operation of the brick
plant. to supply bricks for buildings
to be erected at the institution and
also for municipal purposes in Wash
ington.
The workhouse school is proving a
success, and is helping many inmates
to better. their lives after being re-
leased, the report states.