Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-28
PRISONREFORM
ISDAUGHERTY'S
FAVORTTE HOBBY
Believes Convicts Could Be
Made Useful Citi-
gems

WASHINGTON. April 2s.-Attorney
General Harry NJ. Daugherty has lot
Of hobbies.
He likes to drag away on a rusty -look-
ing pipe. He's a pretty fair fisherman
He turns a wicked tenor in an impromptu
barber shop Quartette. When not en-
crossed with official cares he enjoys
card game horse race, a billiard game.
or any one of forty other varieties Of
pastiming.
His real hobby, though. Is making
good men out Of bad ones. It's not
new hobby for him. He's been doing 1t
for years. Taking the helm as head OF
the Justice Department and the Presi-
dents right bower in legal problems, MI
Daugherty Jumped into a field Of activity
genuinely to his liking. Possessing "hu-
man" qualities IN a rare degree. the At
torney General within one year has ex-
tended his humanness into the dark re-
cesses Of the Federal prisons.
Within the Federal penitentisries MI
Daugherty has introduced moral and edu-
cationsl advantages calculated to make
real men out Of the convicts, so that when
their terms end they may go into differ
ent fields of activity and again become
useful citizens-free from the temptation
to repeat their old and dangerous ways
At the three penitentisries maintained
bv the Government at Atlanta, Leaven-
woth and Mcneil Island, Cal. Mr.
Daugherty has seen remarkable results
from the operation Of prison schools. In
Atlanta Prison over two hundred Hit
crates. some native and some foreign
born, after a few months study were
able last Christmas TO write intelligent
letters TO friends and relatives.
PRISONERS
MAKE GOOD.
More than one thousand prisoners were
paroled and their earnings were about
S1.OOo,000 The Attorney General gave
that number another chance to make
good and they are making good. Besides.
they are contributing their share to the
country's productive output-production
that would be lost Il they remained In
prison
The success OF industrial enterprises
at Atlanta. so conducted that there IS
profit both for the Government AMI for
the prisoners themselves on a bonus Ia
sis. according to their output, had led
ATtolhey General Daugherty to urge
Congress TO pass a bill authorizing the
iustalla lion of similar Industrial features
in tie prisons at Leavenworth and Nc
Neiu lslapd.
\ cott5n duck mill operated at At
Ianta Prison brought a net profit TO the
Government Of s1S5,O00 and earned for
the prisoners. In bonuses - two cents
yard on their output, about $4,000.
About $50 prisoners are employed in the
Atlanta Prison cotton mill Tbs product
IS not sold in open market but is dis
posed Of TO Government departments
needing such suppliss-
"TDLESEss
PFRNICIOCs=
Because Of Industrial methods and
other measures to establish pc.son re-
sorm, the Attorney General said recently
hat. although there are now 64S more
inmates at the three prisons named, the
expenses OF operating them viii be about
$40 600 below the amount appropriated By
Congress.
Mr. Daugherty's opinion Is that idle
ness is dangerous both to the idle and
10 society.
'IdIeness is pernicious," he ssid-"per-
nicious both morally and physically TO
all men, especially to prisoners. II men
- prison ara to again fill places OF use
fullness IN society It is imperative that
constructive labor be furnished them dur
Ing their confinement
NO record Of merely material accom-
plishment can give such satisfaction as
man as a useful member of society. The
period OF a mans Incarceration for an
offense against the State need not neces-
sarily b destructive Of the mans pres
ent or future worth to society nor Of
mis- self respect or immediate earning
capacity"