Evening star., 1924-09-13
MARYLAND PRISONERS SAVING
BY NEW BANKING SYSTEM
Wardens Daughter Starts Men on Road to indie.
pendence and Ability to Make Way
When They Are Released.

whenever he desires He merely fills out
the pay to the order form supplied by
all banks Miss Sweezey goes to the
bank. withdraws the money and places
it with the penitentiary cashier to be
credited to the account OF the inmate.
prisoner.
For obvious rea SONS the prisoners are
not allowed to have money in their cells
An account is opened in the name of
each prisoner by the institution book
keeper, who credits the inmates with
money earned from the contractors and
charges him with money he wishes to
spend or deposit in bank, where his
money earns interest
Il believe that in the year the plan
has been in operation it has fulfilled its
purpose" Miss SweeZey said I'm the
last few months a number of men have
left here with sufficient money to carry
them over until they reach another city
or obtain permanent employment.
''In the coming year many men will
be released who will have from 500 to
$500 with which to face the world.
Aside from the material advantage Of
this to the man. there is a psychological
effect. Able to pay his way. he has con-
fide nee in himself and i'm his power to
make good.
''All pans for reforming criminals
for reha bilitating minds which have
been warped by false IDEAS. are futile
unless we also seek some way to bridge
the chasm which awaits the man at the
door of the pententiary.
Tides Over Idle Period.
That chasm is unemployment and
the stigma of serving time in a penal
institution. which in our civilization
bars him from the society of the men
with whom he wishes to associate. In
crossing that chasm without a bridge
there is always the danger that the man
may give uD hope and determination
and fall to the bottom-into the ways
of crime, whence he again returns to
the pententiary.
Bridge this chasm and you give
the man an equal fighting chance
prepare his. mind to seek the proper
ideals and to lead a life of honor
Then let him have money to carry
him over the black period. the several
months after he leaves the penal
institution and you have made a man.
Penal institutions then are worth
while institutions.
During the past year $50 men
opened accounts. / have hopes of in
creasing this number to 500 during
the next year The $4,000 does not
represent the total deposits of the
year, but the balance at the end of
the year.
Besides saving money for their re-
lease, number of the men, especial
ly those here for long terms. save to
purchase some particular article
which they wish. For instance. a ne
gro with only one leg. several weeks
ago withdrew 500 to buy an arti-
fetal leg.
~. hox
chased portable typewriters out of
their savings during the year. Others
draw on the fund for the purchase
of hooks or. comforts for their cells
Several have given me authority to
draw money and purchase a gift to
be sent on q birthday to some mother
or sister who does not know where
the sender is. =
Many Refuse Assistance.
There are several reasons why
many of the men have not joined the
savings club. A large portion of those
who do have accounts send most OF
their money to their families for sup
port. A small number have not been
here long. enough to become adept
at their tasks and earn but a trivial
sum. There are other men who ex-
press utter contempt at any offer to
help them"
Miss Sweezey said that several
weeks ago every man in the institu-
tion voted to give 1 per cent of his
earnings to a recreation and relief
fund. Families of prisoners in dis
tress also will be helped from this
fund. Outfits for base ball teams also
will be purchased, Miss Sweezey said.
Miss Sweezey, who is the daughter
of Col, Claude Sweezey, warden
of tho institution. was attached to
the Johns Hopkins Social Service De-
partment before she took up her
duties at the penitentiary. She is the
first full-time social worker at the
institution.