Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-15
ny MAyME OBER PEAK.


that cells intended for tive. have had
to be stretched to contain double.
Because of congested conditions in
state penal institutions the govern
ment authorities are finding 1t in
creasingly dificult to get any federal
prisoners farmed out. And, as the
federal penitentiaries have passed
their normal capacity. serious emer-
gency is being faced.
Especially Is this true in regard to
the female portion of Uncle Sans I'M
invited guests. With the exception Of
two institutions-and these with the
combined capacity of only twenty
more-the government has no place
to board federal woman prisoners. -
Aware Of the situation, Judges are
holding up sentences i'll many cases
until places, of confinement can be
designated. Department OF Justice
officials state there is no need of con-
victing men and women and going
through the process of trial without a
place to tafe care of them.
Whatfs the reason for this rapidly
growing prison population? And to
what extent is woman answerable? Is
she enjoying equality In crime as in
everything else? Or is it that woman
is at last getting equality of justice?
These questions were put to Mrs.
Mabel Walker Willebrandt, assistant
attorney general.
THE second woman in the country
i to reach this legal, official PIN
nacle, Mrs. Willebrandt, like her
predecessor, Mrs. Annette Adams,
comes from CALIFORNIA; state that
gave suffrage to woman some time
before the passage of the federal
amendment.
AS one Of the women who helped
make that land in the making" Mrs.
willebrandt lived and worked on an
equality basis her Sex proving no
more of a handicap than il does in
her present position. While she is
comparatively young and, incl
dentally, very charming looking
woman. her life has been active and
full of experience. She has very
practical and level-headed ideas on
the subject OF woman's rights-and
wrongs. approaching it with none
of mans chvalry and chicken
Eeartedness" toward woman, and with
all of woman's unders ia nding of her
sex.
Her replies to questions were re-
plete with common sense. unbiased
judgment and justice, and showed no
evidence of woman's inhumanity to
woman
There isn't any more crime. she
stated, but more criminals are be-
ing brought to justice. This is due
to increased activity of the law-en
forcement machinery of the states
and federal government, and the
greatly enlarged Jurisdiction of the
federal criminal department during
the past ten years, caused by the en-
actment of a number of statutes which
create new federal offenses.
In the last three or four sessions
OF Congress, new criminal laws have
been passed, such as the anti-nar-
cotic act, the espionage act the auto
theft act, the income tax act and the
prohibition act. Sixty per cent of the
increase in the criminal population
has come with the passage of these
laws.
I'm prohibition cases alone. there
are 10000 over the country awaiting
trial, and, roughly speaking. some
thing like 5000 income tax and tax
fraud cases. There is also a large
number of convictions for violations
of the Harrison anti-narcotic act.
THE more laws, the more 1awless-
ness, it seems" the writer Remarked.
No, but many offenses which were
formerly not punishable in federal
courts have now been made so. TAX
ing into consideration the increase
in population, the loosening Of ethi-
cal bonds following every war, there
Is no increase in crime to any appre
ciable degree.
This likewise applies to women.
More women are being sentenced by
federal courts than in the past, but
1t must be remembered that up to
ten or fifteen years ago women did
not come under the federal laws as
they do to-day.
However while there is no in
crease in crime among women, there
is an increasing tendency on the
part of law enforcement agencies to
recognize woman's responsibility i'll
breaking. Judge and jury are
more and more willing to hold a
woman who has violated the law
responsible for her act ..-..
Has suffrage brought about this
change Of attitude?"
Indirectly. Suffrage has increased
woman's participation in the ,activi-
ties of the community, and has
caused the public mind to undergo
sibility for her acts-good or bad.
From the standpoint of Justice,
there is only one standard Of respon-
sibil.ty for crime. Maudlin sentiment
has no place in justice at all. Nor
does chivalry belong to it. ,Chivalry
never gets at the heart Of things;
1t is an outward expression, like
manners. What justice needs to back
1t up Is stern anu understanding
sympathy. And the place to express
1t Is in the adequate way you handle
the unfortunate who has trans
crossed, rather than in excusing him,
or her, in wholesale fashion from
the clutches of the law.
'Woman's security from the death
penalty for killing has been too long
really encouraged to commit crime
by the misplaced leniency with which
the law treated them. Now we are
getting to the place where we can
hiring woman tn iuuffce the an,