The Washington times., 1923-01-23
JAIL
TRAFFIC
IN DOPE
Assistant Attorney General
Grim StartIes House Com
mittee With Testimony

The astounding rapidity With
which. narcotic addicts are ~.
cfeasing tlNnpe sgit the etpatry,
and the Governments vain efforts
to check its spread, was told
members Of the House judiciary
Committee today by Assistant At
torney General Grim. The c6m-
mittee is conducting hearings on
the Goodykoontz bill, which pro-
vides for the establishment of an
industrial home for women at
Mt. Weather, near Bluemont, Va.
Institutions Are damned.
Mr.. Grim. who appeared in favor
Of the measure, declared that a
majority of those who would be in
carcerated in the\ proposed home
were narcotic addicts. So fast has
the menace spread, he said. that
within four months there would not
be available in the country q place
to put such women.
The Federal and State institutions
are now overlooking he said and
the Department Of Justice has not
only been notified that no more can
be cared for, but many requests
have been received to remove those
now being held.
Among women, Grim declared,
the chief offenders are narcotic
addicts. He said that there was
no foundation in penology upon
which to base proper method OF
incarceration. Sevepty-five per cent
OF the women prisoners today are
from the East, he told the Com
.atk wy 30
are drug addicts. This he attrib-
narcotics into the country Is on
the Atlantic seaboard.
Drugs Enter Prisons.
Mr.. Grim astounded committee
members when he declared that a
cure for those in the institutions of
the country was practically impos-
sible because Of the fact that dope"
is now being carried into the prisons.
1.-THE prison guards are RESPONSE
bic for this condition" he said, land
it is not hard to understand when
we consider the salaries they get and
the narcotics" On one consignment
Of dope" he continued, a guard can
make as much as $4,000 or 1000.
1t is not possible for the Depart
ment to obtain convictions in such
cases, Grim said, because the only
evidence possible to get is from pris.
oners. 1--WE are in the dark" he de.
clared, until the medical profession
tells us what to do"
In the Atlanta penitentiary, he
said, out Of from $500 to 2,400 prIs-
oners, 600 or 700 are narcotic adj
diets. Forty per cent of the men,"
he said, "being sent to Federal pris-
ons today are addicts."
State Institutions Work.
While the smuggling activities
are alarming in the Federal prisons,
Grim told the committee, a much
worse condition exists in the State
institutions. So well Is the system
to supply prisoners with dope"
worked out in these institutions that
It completely nullifies the efforts
being made to effect cures.
The spread of the dope" men,
ace, he said, was general. Every
part of the country is included.
I'm every small community" he
declared" If you ask a physician,
he will tell you that there are
little nests Of narcotic addicts.''
Every day, Grim said, people
come to the Department Of Justice
for advice. Only yesterday, he con-
tinued, a man from New Hamp-
shire whose brother is an addict,
came to him for help.
The brother had served in the
army and had acquired the habit
when i'll. He has gone to the depths
Of degradation, Grim said, and has
disgraced his family. We could
not help the brother. He's search
ing around tor, something to do!s