Evening star., 1935-07-17
LA ROE HITS PLAN
|FOR PAROLE BOARD
ION SALARY BASIS
Chairman Says Randolph
Proposal Would Create
Political Pressure.
SUBSTITUTION OF U. S.
LAW GIVEN SUPPORT
Careless Granting Of Supervised
Freedom Denied-More Help
Sought to Aid System.

Wilbur La Roe, jr., chairman of the
District Parole Board, today vigorously
opposed the proposal Of Representative
Randolph, Democrat, of West Virginia.
to set up paid parole board here ON
the grounds that to attach a salary
to the three Parole Board jobs would
Immediately make them political
plums."
Furthermore, he added, q man who
would be attracted by q $500 annual
salary 'is not the kind of o man who
should be q member Of the Parole
Board"
La Roe made his comment after
Representative Randolph introduced q
bill in the House yesterday to CUB
stitute the Federal law governing the
sentencing and paroling Of prisoners
for the existing indeterminate sentence
and parole law. Randolph drew from
his recent experience as chairman OF
the Special Crime Investigating Sub
committee Of the House District Com
mittee In proposing the change.
Supports Two Points.
La Roe supported Randolph on at
least two provisions of his measure.
The board chairman favors the sub
stitution Of the Federal law for the
present District law and opposes fixing
q minimum sentence equal to one-f1ftn
Of the maximum penalty fixed by the
court.
Possible political aspects, however.
are the prime fear Of La Roe II the
Randolph bill is enacted into law.
81 have on my desk letter from a
prominent Senator urging the parole
OF q prisoner who committed 6 very
vicious crime and who has served only
a fraction of long sentence" La Roe
said. "The Senator states that some
of his constituents back home are
anxious to have the parole granted.
The board, as it is now constituted,
has denied parole in the case"
La Roe cited the case as one in
which action might be taken II the
Parole Board became political ap-
pointments.
Scores Salary Scale.
The board chairman also scored the
inequality of the proposed salaries on
the ground the work of each member
of the board is as important Is that
of the others.
ct would clearly be undesirable to
have one member Of the board receive
$4,000 per year and the others $500.
The work of the other members of
the board is just as important and
almost as onerous as that of the chair
man. Furthermore, $500 is hardly q
f1attering sum to suggest for q posi-
ton of such Importance. It looks
suspiciously like q dole"
La Roe declared the Parole Board
now needs more help. There is only
one parole officer at present, he said,
in charge Of nearly 800 released pris-
oners. Another was recently author
lied, but six are needed. He also
said that more help Is needed at Lor-
ton and that young prisoners there
should be segregated, as suggested by
Commissioner Hazen. La Roe also
defended the record of the present
board.
Denies Careless Paroles
II emphatically deny" he said,
"that prisoners are being carelessly
or easily paroled. Every case Is
studied with great care. The first
thing studied is the prisoners past
record. Hardened criminals are be-
ing kept in the reformatory. Paroles
are being granted only to those who
can safely be paroled. If any Of our
paroled men has injured any one or
committed a serious crime, such fact
could readily be shown. The truth is
that we are now rebuilding 800 men
and that with few exceptions they
are observing the conditions Of their
paroles.
Everybody seems to be cooperating
IN trying to improve the parole sys-
tenn. But setting up a paid board
with disproportionate salaries La the
wrong way to go about 1t.
Corporation Counsel Z. Barrett
Prettyman framed the Randolph
measure at the request of the Crime
Committee, which made an exhaustive
study of the indeterminate sentence
and parole law during its 60-day in
quiry into the Districts law enforce
ment and prosecution machinery.
Proposes Board Of Three.
The new parole board set up in the
bill would be composed of three mem
bers, one of whom would be chairman
and serve full time. His csmpensa-
ton would be $1,000 year. The other
two would receive SIS for each day
devoted to official duties, with the
total annual compensation limited to
$500 each.
One Of the major features Of the
bill provides that any parolee who had
been sentenced by the District courts
on conviction of felony shall be con-
tinued on parole until expiration of
the maximum time specified In the
sentence, without deduction Of the
allowance for good behavior.
Randolph said the bill follows
closely the recommendation In the
majority report Of the Crime In
vestigating Subcommittee. which based
its findings on the testimony Of Chief
Justice Alfred A. Wheat of the Dis
trict Supreme Court, who said the
present indeterminate sentence and
parole law is not operating satisfac-
torily.
The provision to substitute paid
parole board for the present board,
Randolph explained, is not intended
to cast any reflection on the person
mel.
Under existing law q person Is SEN
fenced to both a maximum and mini
mum sentence. The minimum Is
fixed at one-fifth of the maximum. A
prisoner can apply for paross after
serving the minimum sentence. The
Federal law, however, provides .
straight sentence and q prisoner must
serve one-third Of that before becom-
ing eligible fofsparole.