Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-31
PRISON PROGRAM
URGED IN HOUSE
Two Penitentiaries, Hospital
for Insane and Many
U. S. JaiIS Asked.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The construction Of two penitentiaries
and a hospital for the criminal insane
were among the major recommends
lions OF a special House prisons investi-
eating committee submitted today In
a report to the House.
In addition, as further means of re-
lieving congestion in Federal peniten-
tiarieS throughout the country the ccm-
mittee recommended that a narcotic
institution, authorized under the Porter
bill, be constructed as quickly as pos
sible; that the reformatory at Chilli
Gothic. Ohio, be pushed to completion
and that Federal jails or warehouses to
care for short-term and detention pris-
oners be authorized.
One in Northeast.
The committee suggested that one of
the two additional penitentiaries be To-
Gated in the Northeastern part Of the
country and the other at such a place
as board Of experts might determine.
II recommended that the jails or work.
houses be located at New York, Boston,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cleveland. Gin
cinnati. Chicago, st. Louis. San Fran
cisco and such other places as the
needs from time to time shall require"
The committee said legislation to
carry out It's recommendations would be
presented promptly to Congress.
Other recommendations included en-
largement Of the office Of superintendent
Of prisons and enactment of a law to
establish parole board to act upon
application without requiring approval
by the Attorney General.
The report suggested that all mill
tary prisoners now held in civil peni-
tentiaries be transferred Immediately to
the United States disciplinary barracks,
and that in the future no more mill
tary prisoners be accepted In the "al-
ready crowded penal institutions"
Due to the lack Of a proper program
and to the tremendous increase In the
number OF persons committed, the COM
mittee said the penitentiaries were over
crowded with persons sentenced 10
prison for more than one year.
Leavenworth Overcrowded.
"The committee found that the
Leavenworth penitentiary now has
within its walls more than twice the
number Of prisoners 1t is able to &C
commodate," the report said "The
normal capacity Of the Atlanta peni-
Tertiary Is LIP and upon the day the
committee visited it there were 3,107
prisoners in the institution.
In both Of these institutions there
exists the vicious practice of double
up or placing two prisoners In single
cells. Men are sleeping In dark, ill-ver,-
tilated Easements and corridors, impro-
vised dormitories are In use, the kitchen
and mess facilities are overloaded TO
more than twice their proper capacity.
THE committee also found that no
more prisoners should be confined IN
the Mcneil Island Penitentiary," It add
ed, mot only because 1t has reached
its proper physical capacity, but also
because Of the remoteness of its location.
In one corner Of the country, far from
the center of commitments. and because
OF the impossibility of securing sufficient
fresh water.
only at the new Federal institution
for women at Anderson, w. Va, did the
committee find sufficient facilities for
the proper care of the Federal prisoners
committed to that institution