Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-04
PRISON BOARD ABOL|sHES
STRIPES At PEN|TENT|ARY
Recognized Body Starts Campaign
for Education and Health OF
States Prisoners.
coNvIcTs ALLOWED PAPERS
With Cooperation OF William and
Mary Extension Work and State
Highway Department, Instruction
Courses VIII BE lnauguratcd.

BY order of the hoard or directors
of the Virginia State rcnitentiarS
stripes in convlct'S clothing viii Ire
abolished when the inmates OF enc
state Farm. the peniicntary ana tht
conricts on the roads are issued thei1
fall clothing. The new suits which
will be handed out will he of prison
brown. neat and attractive 10 the
eye. Such decision has been approved
by the board in connection with its
policy o: reforming the prison system
of the Commonwealth, and as soon u 5
the striped material now on hand is
used up. stripes Will be discarded en-
,irely.
Members Of the board came TO the
conclusion that il IS desirable 10 elm
mate the stripe through Il close study
of the situation in other states IL
was found that massachusetts banned
such raiment scvcnty-SiN years ago
and that it has not been i'll use in
New York for twentysiN years. Nir-
ginia is now but one of six states not
10 have abolished stripes. According
20 members OF the board ii has been
discovered that not only is the stripe
unnecessary, but il causes convicts
TO commit desperate deeds when dis
covered escaping. often leads 10 muir
der. and is easily thrown away and
replaced with civilian clothing once
the escaped culprit is in the open.
Resides il is unsightiy. Governor
Montague years ago recommended
convicts be withdrawn from Capitol
Square for this reason.
Many changes are now being in
sttutcd at the state Pcn!tcntary un-
for the jurisdiction OF the newly re-
organized board. Following the pro-
Eressive policy of other states, tho
new administration. under the leader
ship and personal supervision of
Leroy Hodges. ala to the Governor.
has just issued an order allowin <
current reading matter. such as daily
newspapers and up 10 date magazines
to be distributed TO convicts
No Papers Were Allowed.
Heretofore all current reading has
been barred from the prisons. only
religious tracts and old and out of
date magazines being allowed. The
only way that a criminal incarccratcd
i'll the state prison ever learned what
was going on in the outside world
was through underground channels,
which the new administration de-
clarcs caused him to use deceit and
aid not tend 10 reform in the least.
When Governor Westmoreiand
Davis started his fight for reorgani-
zation Of the Prison Board ii has
been brought out that there were alb
solutely no physical records of the
condition of the convicts. 1t has been
found recently since q record has
been made of the conditions OF the
inmates that - per cent OF the men
IN the peni,entary are afflicted with
an almost uncurable disease and that
"3 per cent OF the men on the roads
are suffering likewise.
Under the new regime the Wasser-
man blood test is being given all
convicts, and physicians are making
physical examinations OF all of the
men under the supervision OF tho
hoard. The officials declare that
since January l not a single man in
the penitentary has been whipped.
Now the discipline is being worked
out on the order o! an army unit
rather than n prison camp. The men
are compelled to battle properly and
Tor them are being developed.
VIII Feature BaScbnll
bo naseoall at the neni,entiary has
although played by the inmates 10
some extent before the rcorganiza
ZION ~ the board, II has been greatly.
uea e!opea IN the past year as 4 re-
Examination Of all OF the men ana
women confined for their misdrctis;
i ~ neinE Undertaken a, the presen,
tnc direction and by the order of
ne state Prison Board Members
~ me BOARD contend that persons
the penitentiary. and should he com
united TO some hospital where thnir
conu!iioh could be treated properly.
found ro to be dfmented, can only be
or through p%rdoh by the Goyernor
h hhis Is regarded as stumbling
is hoped soon 10 arrange a sys
tenn by which conv!cts can na Ir.-
s Gj%yGa , 10 M"Spitais for the Insane
i,nniiS through Ia the action OF a boart,
"PpoihteG 10 Judge their sanity. This
u regarded as one OF tho cr,ot"st
II'o!hS which has yet been a;tcmni .
en w Virginia, and the board is
pIoDhnly more Interested in wor,..
ing IL out than in any OF Tho ON,
iv.urins. which are being, or have
starr Educational Work
not 10 be overlooked hoWrvn- ,s
~ cuucHtIpnal program now hciu,.
!nsi!tnted IN the pcnitcniiary nni
snny NJ -" gotten under way as
lnS distributed anon, III" nr,il nr
ar. filed out So''''t's
o,, These ques,ionnalres are he,np
i.ea ou' with the idea OF dlsrnvcr1
ny me past history Of Inc con,.,',,
~ question, 50 That am cuuca,iani ~ ~
% "rrTgrdM e. to fl his needs may s''i be-
6cing " I POI, ms ms Enforcement. This is
~ y! IT y. G. Chandler nrrsi
Hs3t or William and Mary ;.dgii H.
n. er .i tA'shsion course offered by
Classes in automobile m.ch,,ic.
$500 oJ ,eaE.n Ia conjunction rith ~.
800 hlsnw"y Department ana ihss
ma U.H Tt, Inc, equipment OF the de- de-
'"t MEM Viii b. done by ibn c,
Hcis themselves. under ihc ,",
i. 2ior ni competent directors. INN
"'.'.-S S"pp 81 course VIII b.. ,,,,.a,
instruct The men in fine tajlhri,'v :.
ie'oiorc convict cmpioy.d n, -,
S'p u!d Out one operation. W.,
ne was released a; The end -" Te len
rn,ehce' ho knew only nov. ~ ne mts
ia.o a sewing naci!nc nr,bfn 10
more Now practical expcrienra' -. ~, !. : 7
ne even the men in the yarjons ". ~.
euPatlons At the pcnitcntiarv 9s 90 og
az. .i!e men have been c!assifi.d "a
ucatiohaily through the oi;,s.i 90 90
nov being filled out.
Jail VIII lie 40 pI,,i,
coiohc! hodges. in spcakiur NJ "a,
t mqdn "M bs, i being done. said yes.
IN the mind of members Of IN ,Int!of
70 MAKE Il jail sentence Il 10, goa i.af "a
Ihey VII! have to 10 w5rril'""' :,
a ei,n,a,,. jusi as formerly Nc VII
SIMPLY look out for them in ~ WI
auIG' AZ least as We wouId 80 "a
MAJ. ~ has been found tha, az.
auslrlal efficiency of the cE,',.'tc m
peeh much improved by GOOD he .,, ma.
KU KLUX KLAN TO STAGE
PARADE ON ARMISTICE DAY
More Than 500 Memh.,. u,,, ;,