Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-04
ALLOTS $,5(O,0DO
FOR NEW PRISONS.
Plans for Improved Penal In
stitutions Outlined by Attor-
ney General Over Radio.

Following recent serious prison out
breaks. Attorney General william d.
Mitchell last night disclosed that the
administration is proposing a five-year
building program for prison institutions
to cost Sc, 500, 600
Such a program, the Attorney Gen
eral announced in Golfers radio nour
last night over a Nationwide network
has already been approved by the Bu-
reau of the Budget and will be present.
ed to Congress.
Five institutions are needed, he ex.
planned. I'VE need, FIRST, new FeoeraI
penitentiary with capacity OF l,2OO, 10
be located in the North Atlantic States"
said the Attorney General; second, q
new industrial reformatory similar 10
Chillicothe. Ohio, to serve the territory
west of the Mississippi River, with ca :
pacity of 1900; third, three Feoeral
jailS or houses Of detention-one In the
North Central States, one on the PACING
Coast and one in the Central West.
Assigns Reasons for Disorder.
"The immediate and direct cause of
the recent disorder among the prisoners
at Leavenworth," said Mr.. Mitchell,
was dissatisfaction with the food. The
underlying causes were overcrowding
and lack of work to keep the prisoners
occupied. Overcrowding means overtaX-
ing Of the housing and feeding facilities,
with poorly prepared and served food,
and that, coupled with idleness, trays
the nerves of the prisoners and results
in the flare-up of nervous excitement
and consequent disorders.
The Federal Government has never
provided jails of its own for jail priS-
nnarS hut has rantad apPOpnYnO da fiOnS
in State and county jails. and 1t is not
proposed at present to go beyond the
construction of the three jailS men,
toned. This construction program will
cost about $500 900, spread over a
five-year period. Approved by the bud
get, this program awaits only the action
of Congress"
The Attorney General said the
second essential improvement was to
provide employment for the prisoners.
He declared that the opposition of in
dustry, both capital and labor, to
prison work was selfish opposition, -
for which there was mo justification"
1T costs the taxpayers large sums
to house, clothe and feed Federal pris-
oners," he said. why should thousands
of able bodied men and women in Fed
eral prison institutions not be required
by their labor to help support them
selves?
Improved Morale Sought.
"Above all is the great public inter-
est in improving mental, moral and
physical conditions of the prisoners,
teaching them a useful occupation, so
that when released and returned to
society they may have a chance to
avoid criminal occupations" He
recommended that the prison industries
should be diversified, and explained that
the products were all used by the Fed
eral Government.
The new prison program, he said, in
cludeS complete reorganization Of the
parole system with adequate personnel.
Another real need, the Attorney Gen
eral explained, was for segregation and
classification of prisoners" On June
80 of this year he reported that out Of
10000 Federal penitentiary prisoners
the greatest number convicted under
any one act Of Congress were those con-
fined for violations of the statutes re-
lating to narcotic drugs.
With construction of new institu
tons. development of prison industries
proper employment and educational
methods. reorganization of the parole
and probation system" said the Attor-
ney General, I'VE hope in the near flu
ture to bring the Federal prison system
somewhere near modern, enlightened
standards.
THE prison of the future should be
at once a disciplinary school for those
who can be reformed, a place Of segre-
CATION for the incorrigible and a lab
oratory for the study Of the causes Of
crime"