Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-24
DISTRICT PUSHES F
PLANS FOR PRISON
Model Reformatory and
n "4{'f
Workhouse Almost
Completed.
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

United States at LoTton, va.
Here the manufacture of automobile
tags started during the past week,
and the final operation OF color coat
ing the metal number plates will be-
Gin under expert supervision to-
morrow.
The cannery in which produce
raised on the farms Of the reformatory
ut I.orton and the workhouse at
OccoQuan, Va. will be packed for
Winter food will be in operation with
in two weeks TO handle the big tomato
crop at both institutions.
The foundry building is half up,
the machinery ready for delivery. and
will be in operation within two
moi1ths--with more than 200 tons OF
soap iron already on hand TO be made
into nianhole covers and other heavy
iron supplies for the District govern.
n1ent.
with the permanent buildings for
the two institutions almost completed,
erected with prison labor and bricks
made at the workhouse. the penal in
stitutions are starting on the second
stage of their program. for most
humane and corrective handling of
those who have offended against So
ciaty--the operation of industries that
will keep the prisoners employed turn
ing out supplies for the District gov
eminent and actually teaching them
trades that will make them self-sup-
porting and self.respecting members
Of the community when their prison
terms are completed.
Pay Schedule Planned.
As soon as possible, it is the In
tention of those in charge to estab-
lish q pay schedule under which the
prisoners working In these industrial
plants will be allowed small daily
wage or piece work stipend that will
SO TO the support of their families
during their confinement.
This plan IS in complete coincidence
with the most advanced thought of
humanitarians and social workers
and penologists for the treatment of
those who have offended against So
ciety. The National Capital in it's re-
formatory at Lorton and its work
house at OccoQuan Is setting an ex-
ample for the whole civilized world
and Is frequently visited by authori-
ties Of penal institutions of the va.
rieus States and other COUNTRYSIDE
cause the customary 80 to IS foot
prison walls and. as far as is safe.
prison bars also have been abolished.
II is the only place in the world where
q
without walls and bars.
The success Of this great expert.
nnent in prison reform, started II
years ago, is shown by the fact that
each year the escapes have run from
a minimum OF two to a maximum of
il, 10 Of whom were later recaptured,
and that in the entire IL years only
-, who escaped are still at large.
1t must be understood that the
rather soothing name, "refornatory,"
for the Lorton institution really COW
ers prison." for that is what 1t is,
To Lorton are sent all the offenders
sentenced to terms running from a
year and a day TO life Imprisonment
by the District Supreme Court--alI
except the very worst criminal cases,
which are sent to the penitentiaries
In Atlanta, Ga, and Leavenworth,
Kans. To the 'workhotise" at Deco.
guam are committed those sentenced
IN Police Court to terms running from
10 days to a year. Those sentenced
20 less than 10 days are held at the
District jail, because it would not be
worth while to transfer them to the
workhouse at Occoquan.
Built by Prisoners.
In the past II years this model
penal plant-Lorton and Occoquan-
has been built up out of wild forest
area and a big shale bank almost
entirely by prison labor. All of the
lumber for. the temporary quarters
that up to now have been used was
cut on the land. During the war con.
strnetion work was. stopped for three
Or four years.
Few persons in Washington appre.
ci4te the size of the plant and the
suelity of perma f1ent buildings that
haPe been erected with the prison la.
Dor, almost entirely within the last
twp years, and which are now about
ready for occupancy.
a. The new dining hall, kitchen.
bakery and cold storage are superior to
anything that can be found at any
penal institution in the world. The
lining hall Is $50 by 20 feet, and will
seat /, 400 men. The kitchen, bakery
ana cold-storage plant are all of most
modern construction. and under the
same roof with the dining hall in one
compact unit. The bakery now in
operation handles 31z barrels Of flour
day, making more than 800 loaves of
Pread. During the war 1t did the bak.
ing for Camp McElroy with a popuIa.
tion of 500 to 700 men. The new
bakery can do fully twice as much
" equipped with aluminium.
This new dining hail is erected
without center posts to support the
toof, which rests on steel Orders which
were bought in knocked-down style
and put up by the plumbing and cleo.
tr1cal department of the "reforrrla-
tory" The lowest bid for putting up
these steel frameworks was $94O. but
this was saved by the use of prison
labor.
(2) A separate disciplinary building
with 20 buiit+in cages" or cells.
These are of most modern construc.
tion in every way. with excellent
ventilation and sanitation, while at
The same time affording salutary
warming to those Of vicious DISPOSE.
ton who are inclined to make trouble
80 A detention building to house
100 to 125 prisoners who cannot be
trusted and who are known to be
planning to escape. This building and
The disciplinary barracks are the only
two that have bars on the windows.
and even there the bars are made to
30 mesh with the window frames as
to not be a constant irritation to the
prisoners.
~ There are six large dormitories
completed without locks or bars each
10 house 100 TO $50 prisoners.
(5) There are six more dormitories
under construction.
(6) Five large shop buildings have
been completed and occupied-0ne of
these by the auto tag manufacturing
plant.
ca The big brick building for the
canning factory is erected and most
Of the machinery is already installed.
% The foundry building Is about
half completed.
o. The boiler plant has been built
Ind the new boilers installed TO take
care of the entire plant for 10 or Is
years to come.
Q0) A connecting ambulatory Ia