The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-03-18
FEDERAL PRISONERS
SHOW AN INCREASE
Report Gives COZ More in
Last Year Than In 1928.

q rapid rate, according to figures com
piled by the superintendent of pris-
q which are Incorporated in the an
nual report Of Harlan +. Stone, attOr-
ney general Of the United States. re-
Gently made public. On June 80. 1924,
1867 prisoners were confined in the
United States penitentiaries at At
lanta, Ga; LeavenwOrth, Kans.; Nc
Neil island, Wash; the National
Training School for Boys, the Ma
tiOnal Training School for Girls and
state institutions Otner than county
jalls. On June 30, 1924, there were
1905 prisoners in these institutions.
This is an increase Of GO2 Over 1923.
OF the 1867 confined on June 80.
1924, there were 6,225 in the United
States penitentiaries, 292 in the state
and territorial penitentiaries, 270 in
state TefOrmatOries and training
schools, 1913 in the National Training
School for Boys, 154 in st. Eizabeth's
hospital and 52S in miscellaneous in
situations, such as warehouses; and
houses of correction
1.-THE maintenance cost during the
year was 1852, 1884 for 6,225 pris-
OnerS confined In the United States
penitentIaries, as against $~1,478,6O2.13
for the sos prisoners confined in the
same institutions during the fiscal year
1923" says. the report.
There were released on parole 900,
compared with SO in 1923. OF this
number, 697 were released from the
federal penltentiaries, compared with
6SS in 1923. The paroles OF A pris-
Oners were terminated for violation Of
the conditions of their parole, COM
pared with 43 in 1923.
New Prisons Under Way.
"ParOled prisoners earned for them
selves in the year S941. OO4.92. These
figures 90 not include the value Of
crops, etc, produced by those who
were engaged in farming for them
selves, or board and lodging received.
In the previous year the money earn
ings Of parOled prisoners amounted to
~$750,O5041. The number of prisoners
parOled this year is so more than last
/ year"
Regarding what has been done to
MI the need for new prisons, the re-
port avs:
1.-THE most urgent need was for an
adequate and appropriate institution
for the incarceration Of female offend
ers against the laws Of the United
States. The federal government never
has had any institution Of it's own In
which 10 incarcerate female prisoners.
1t always has been necessary to rely
upon the good will Of the states TO
secure accommodations for this class
OF prisoners. Few, if any, however.
had sufficient and desirable accOmmO-
datiOns. This situation was met by
the passage on June Z, 1924, of a bill
which embOdieS the best thought Of
practical penOlOgists. The law pro-
vides for the establishment Of an in
dustrial refOrmatOry rather than a pen
itentiary. The women Will be segre-
gated into classes, according to age
and past criminal record. The disci-
pine Will be correctional and designed
to prevent the inmates from becoming
hardened criminals.
Hardly less urgent was the need
for an institution for the incarcera.
ton Of the young man who had COM
mitted his first Offense. II has been
necessary to incarcerate these young
offenders with old and hardened crimi.
nails. A bill was introduced In con.
gress providing for the establishment
Of a reformatOry for first offenders be,
tween the ages Of seventeen and thirty
years. II passed the house and il IS
hoped that it will pass the senate and
soon become Il law.
"When these two institutions arc
completed the government for the frs
time in its history Will be equipped fol
the care Of its prisoners in its nwr
institutions along modern lines sucI
as are in vogue in some of the more
progressive states.
Lack of Employment.
'The most troublesome problem II
the administration of the fedora
prison system has been the lack O
employment. Idleness has been tn
greatest evil. Idleness leads TO de
terioration mentally, morally and phys
ically. The penal institutions Shout,
be self-sustaining. Employment q
prisoners in the manufacture of sur
plies for the use Of the government
is the solution. Such enterprises ca
be made thoroughly profitable to til
government and at the same tim
( highly beneficial to the prisoners. Thi
has been demonstrated in the case q
the duck mill, established at the Al
ianta penitentiaTy some years az,
Recognizing this. congress provide
for the establishment Of a shoe IA,
tory at the LeavenwOrth penitentiar,
? the product of which will be entirel
used by different government agel
|, cies. Nothing made in this factor
viii be sold In the open market. As
p done at the duck mill at Atlanta. III
f: prisoners at LeavenwOrth emplOys
E in the shoe factory will be paid a nor
g ! inal wage.