Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-22
0. K. W|CKERSHAM
F.. PRISON REPORT
American Association Holds
1t Has Stood for Things
Advocated Since 1870.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
=. BALTIMORE, October %. - The
American Prison Associ'ti tcday
placed its approval on the report OF
the Wickersham Commission by unani-
mously adopting a resolution in its
favor prepared by two of its members
named to study the much discussed
document.
The resolution of Endorsement was
drawn by Sanford Bates chief of the
United Stats Prison Bureau and Will
liam j. Ellis, commissioner of the De-
partment of 1nstituti-ns and Agencies
of New Jersey.
:, while in some instances the report
Of the Wickcrsham Commission and
the publicity attendant thereon have
dealt in criticisms of prisons and other
penal institutions, the report itself has
a real constructive value" the rssclu-
ton said.
Rendered Real Service.
!. 1t was the first opportunity the
organization has had to consider the
report made public last July. The
Endorsement was given at a special
meeting of the penal administrators
assembled here for the Sixty-first
s"Since its organization in 1870. the
American Prison Association has stood
for the things advocated by the Com
mission on Law Enforcement and OBJ
Servance," the resolution set forth. This
commission. headed by George W.
Wickersham, former president of our
association, has to this extent rendered
a real service"
MIR. Bates declared that while
10, ,0k I,a;Y ~,
accordance with ideals established by
penologists. the Wickersham report has
failed to credit many penal institutions
Tor their efforts toward improvements.
Urges Indeterminate Sentences.
Judge Paul N Schaeffer of the
twenty-third Pennsylvania judicial dis
trict, Reading speaking last night, ad-
vocated indeterminate sentences for
criminals. He proposed that an attempt
be made to carry out the program OF
modern penology, involving reformation
instead of punishment CT the criminal
by sending men to prison until, in the
Judgment of the commissioners OF cor
rRction, they are ready to take a lawful
Place in society on the outside.
Lewis E. Lawes, warden of Sing Sing
Prison at OsSining, N. Y, and DR.. Ed
win H Sutherland, professor of soc!ol-
u1ed to speak this evening. The con-
gress will wind up its five-day session
tomorrow.
y Hits Left Handed Justice.
States Attorney Herbert r. O'Conor
Of Baltimore, speaking yesterday be-
fore the association. condemned prose-
ctltions such as that of Alphonse Ca
pOne for income tax lodging. as left
banded justice that should be frowned
upon"
= Maintaining that the reformation of a
criminal is hindered when prosecution
deviates from the path of fairness and
Justice he declared that criminals
should b. prosecuted for their crimes
and not for something that conviction
can be secured upon.
I'm line with this viewpoint. efforts
should be frownod upon which have as
their object the Imprisonment of. a
man upon minor and technical charge,
Whcn he reallv is known to be a major
Offender and his conviction for his seri-
ols wrongdoings has not b.en attempt
ed" Mr.. O'Conor said.
: TOO much left-handed justice is
be 'ng dealt, ont" lle continued 1T is
not surprising, therefore, that the de-
fendant, after imprisonment, concludes
that the Government is not above en-
ploying subterfuge on its own behalf"
Officers Are Elected.
q Oscar Lee of Waupun, Wis, was
elected president of the association at
its business meeting. Vice presidents
elected were: Mrs. Blanche L. La Du,
Wittpenn, Hoboken. N. j.; Brig. Gen.
". S. Hughes, Ottawa. Canada; DR..
Walter N. Thayer, New York, and
Harold E. Donnell, Baltimore
George c. Erskine. Cheshire. Conn,
was named treasurer, and E. r. Cas-,
New York. general secretary with power
TO name associates.
Next years meeting will be held in
indianapolis.
= The following were elected to the
board cf directors: Amos w Butler,
George w. Wickersham, Hastings H.
Hart. Lewis E. LaWes. Charles II.
Johnson. Frank Moore, Sanford Bates,
William F. Penn. E. r. Cas-, George c.
Erskine, Carl J. Swendsen. Leon c..
Faulkner. all ex-presidents of the asso-
cation and Warden Charles S. Reed.
Connecticut State Prison, Wethersfield,
Conn.
!. Mrs. Mabel Bassett, commissioner Of
Charities and Corrections, Oklahoma
City, Okla
AH " Basin, superintendent Louis
vile and jefferson County Children's
Home, Anchorage, KY.
Virginian Is Named.
:. Rice M. Youell, superintendent Vir-
ginia Penitentiary. Richmond, Va.
: Warden Stanley P. Ashe, western
State Penitentiary. Pittsburgh, Pa.
" William j. Ellis. commissioner, De-
partment of Institutions and Agencies,
Trenton. N. J.
Mrs Maud Ballington Booth, Vol
unteers Of America New York City
y Mr.. Frederic J. Farnell. chairman,
state Public Welfare Commission,
Providence, r. l.
- J. Stanley Sheppard, Salvation Army.
New York City.
Rev. James Parsons, general supeYan-
H. C>~.~~I1~