The Washington times., 1920-05-30

tnS the
those with the groundwork OF school
ing. He can bulk the first group for
instruction. but he has to take the
Others as .indiyidusls. He has found,
as Deariy as possible. each mans goal
OF study. and Is coaching him toward
H. One wants TO be able TO keep aef
Counts several--and these include
the Joyriders'-aspire TO become me-
.chanics. and are willing TO study Tor
that purpose. All their aims are
strictly utilitsrian, and II Is with
definite Objection that the school Is
showing them how to shoot
The roster OF students shows a di-
versity OF reasons for their matriculs-
tion in the jail. Three came for vag-
rsncy. four for grand larceny, four
for liquor law violations, two for as
.sault, three for assault with a deadly
weapon: four for HOUSEKEEPING. one
for non|support OF his wife, and six
for joy-riding. Most OF them were
born in the District OF Columbia. al
though seven States are represented
in the list OF places OF nativity.
.srtep Forward
because Of the time limitations OF
Institutions which house short-term
prisoners, these Jail schools are only
one step forward. 1t is, however,
step In the right direction, for the
prevention and cure OF crime Is large
ly a matter OF education. By that !
do not mean. OF course, that those
crimes which arise from almost in
eradicable human tendencies are pre-
vented by any amount OF schooling.
The great majority of crimes which
bring offenders to Jail for short-term
avt a.ta
nomic conditions based on general ig-
norance. Take, for instance, the
school roll here. The vagrants, the
housebreakers, the joyriders. the
liquor-law violators, have all commit
ted crimes that can be largely pre-
vented by education. Had they been
trained In some certain means OF live
lihood they would have been unlikely
to commit these crimes.
1T is the economic derelicts who
fll the American jails: and it is our
Job to do what we can, little though II
Is under the circumstances. TO try to
salvage these derelicts when they
come to us.
first-class ships than a shipyard could
turn waterlogged tramp into = top
notch cruiser In a week. All that we
can do is to try to teach man to
steer a little straighter when he goes
out again on the high seas. 1t is the
job Of society to train men and women
for the voyage. Society fails to do
her job. then expects the jails and
prisons to revamp the wrecks. 1t is
the old story of stopping at the bung
and leaking at the spigot.
Because, however. there Is a line
Of .demarcation between the short
term and the fong-term prisoner-a
linesthat is tcrossed in time, thoue n,
unless the short-term man Is made
over into good citizen--it falls to
the janitor of short-term institutions
to try to prevent the crossing OF that
line. That is the reason for the Jail
school. If you can send a man back
into the world with the hope that he
can do better and with tho tools to
work whh. you have helped to solve
the problem"
But doesn't he come back" Mr..
Foster was asked.
"They Don't Come Back"
"We proved in Louisville that he
didn't" he answered. There was
only one returned prisoner in the 900
who graduated from the Jail school in
ycol VIC bdu' II ~ II uS, HbOIt lIIit
there for working out the plan and
could teach men elementary book
keeping, carpentry. masonry and
other trades, and women sewing and
scientific housework.
mo. it's the answer, and the only
answer to the question OF the Grim
inal Educate him all you can--and
then educate him some more. But,
since the time is so limited. the eiu-
cation must be definite. specific and
aimed to the mark.
~Aim ed to -th mark training Is
just about the rarest thing in tn.
world. and 1t may be that Nout of the
Nazareth OF a county Jail may come
the solution of great educational
problem. And, " Individual voca
tional training should become part Of
our national educational system, the
District school may in time be
grateful to the cloistered desks of the
Governments only jail school,"
In further illustrating his point,
Superintendent Foster referred to a
negro serving 4 years sentence at
Occoauan. This negro. upon entering
the prison, could neither read nor
write, nor had he trade. He can
now read and write, and has been
taught the trade of a cement worker
When he leaves the prison he will BE-
ah1a n pn1 lnynant ,pnnd