Evening star., 1922-11-14
'ALL-yEAR COURTS
URGED TO CLEAR
JAMMED DOCKETS
D. c. Charities Report Says
Many Prisoners Are Un-
justly Detained.
new LAW GOVERNING
PRISONS HELD NEEDED
Early Action of Congress on Re-
classification of Employees
Here Sought.

! A recommendation that the criminal
| courts remain in session throughout
the year in order to avoid delay in
disposing of cases is the outstanding
! feature of the annual report of the
| board of charities, submitted to
Commissioner Rudolph today.
The board tells the Commissioners
it is a matter of simple justice that
unfortunate persons who cannot OBJ
tain bail should receive prompt hear
ing in court.
| THE fact that a considerab BILE num-
Der of the prisoners who are held in
! jail for a long time awaiting trial
are finally declared by the courts 10
be innocent of the offenses of which
| they are accused is striking evidence
of the gross injustice inflicted in this
regard.
Many an accused person is kept in
| jail for months and after trial is held
! to be innocent. and yet there is no
means of making reparation on ac-
! count OF the period of incarceration.
For Year-Round Operation.
I'VE recommend that arrangements
be made whereby operation of the
criminal courts will be continued
throughout the year, in the summer
as at other periods. in order that per-
sons accused of crime may be given
that prompt trial to which they are
entitled"
In this same connection, the board
tells the city heads that there is a
0f al he
JAIL
The building cannot properly house
more than 200 prisoners. the report as
serts. The fact that 800 persons fire.
| quently are sent there at one time
means that in great many instances
| two prisoners must be housed in one
! cell, which is condition that ought
! not to exist in the interest of both the
physical and moral we'll being Of pris-
/ oners."
| Prisoners Accumulate.
| The prisoners in the Jail" the re.
port continues. ''are largely those held
for the action Of tie courts. The
! criminal courts are now disposing of
cases more rapidly than IN the past.
| but unfortunately. the records show
! that the number of prisoners held
awaiting court action rapidly accumu-
lates during the summer vacation
months. when the criminal courts are
not in regular session.
On October 81. 1922. there were 205
| prisoners in the Jail awaiting action
OF the grand jury, trial or further hear
ing. We recommend that every effort
I should be made to afford accused per-
sons a prompt trial This should be
done not only for reasons of economy,
but more especially because prompt
trial and determination of cases makes
for more effective administration OF
| the criminal law and because persons
accused of crime are entitled to
| prompt hearing and determination of
the charges against them"
! The board states that it soon will
submit to the Commissioners bill
| providing for the indeterminate SEN
tence and parole system for WASH
| forwarded to Congress for enactment.
New Legislation Needed.
| The penal institutions of the Dis.
i trict. says the report, have been de-
| veloped without comprehensive statu-
| tory direction, and it is very de-
sirable that a law should be enacted
governing the workhouse. reforma-
| tory and Jail, and provide for the
i proper handling of prisoners.
! The proposed bill has been drawn
! up between the board of charities.
the judges of the District Supreme
Court and Supt. Meyer of penal in
stitutionS.
| The National Training School for
Girls has become Inadequate. the re-
| port states. and estimates have been
| submitted for additional buildings.
The board of charities recommends
that the appointing power over the
! trustees of the Training School for
/ Girls be placed in the Commissioners.
At the present time these trustees
F! are appointed by the President or
! recommendation of the Attorney Gen.
eral
| The board reports that the psy
chopathic wards Of the new CALM
and will be opened about January I.
These buildings will accommodate
| about 200 patients.
Early action by Congress on the
| reclassification of District employees
| is urged by the board of charities.
which points out that on nresent SAL
aries the labor turnover in some OF
| the charitable institutions of the city
| is so great that satisfactory organi-
! cations cannot be maintained
| Increase Not Significant.
| Although there was slight increase
last year in the population at Occo-
| quan as compared with the previous
twelve months, the board attaches
no particular significance to that fact.
The report points out that the aver
age daily number of prisoners at
| Occoquan is still only about half what
1t was in 1917.
The board expresses the belief that
| decrease in the number of prisoners
sent to Occoquan during the past
| five years is due both to the enact
ment of the prohibition law and the
demand for labor of all kinds since
| the war.
Now that four years have elapsed
since the armistice was signed and
we have passed through a period of
| general increase in unemployment
without any noticeable increase in
| the number of prisoners 1t would
| seem almost certain that the enact
ment of prohibition was the potent
factor In lessening the number of
petty criminals who were sent to the
| workhouse.
'Unfortunately. we cannot cite q
similar experience in relation to the
criminals charged with more serious
ohenses. So far as we can ascertain,
| prohibition does not seem to have
lessened the number of felonies"
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