Evening star., 1935-04-07
CRIME In CAPITAL LAID
TONEGLECTBY CONGRESS
Voteless Citizens Helpless to Remedy
Underlying Conditions Because Pleas
Go oUnheeded-Co-operation Asked.

Many Of our school children come
from poor and inadequate homes,
where the poverty is so extreme as to
make even a modicum of character
education difficult. Last yeaf a sys-
tenn of character education was inau-
gurated IN our public schools under
the competent leadership of Miss Ber-
tie Backus. A more constructive move
against the roots of crime would be
difficult to imagine. This year the
entire appI opriation for character ed
ucation has been stricken from the
bill by the Appropriations Committee
of the House. apparently for the
purpose of saving the small sum of
money involved.
One of the best and most modern
methods of striking at the roots of
crime is the parole system. This is
primarily system of rehabilitation
under which the authorities take hold
of a prisoner the very moment he en-
ters the gates of the institution and
endeavor to rebuild him. This is
not coddling process. but kind of
discipline that supplies what is lack
ing in the prisoners life, teaching
him trade. overcoming his physical
ailments and otherwise improving
him. Congress enacted an almost
ideal parole law for the District but
has consistently failed to appropriate
money needed for the rehabilitation.
The local Parole Board now has 318 pa
rolled prisoners under one parole off,
Ger. This is dangerous condition
for which Congress is directly respon-
sible. The parole system as now
operated is not fair either to the pris-
oners or 20 the public.
There is a most undesirable condi-
ton at the Lorton Reformatory. where
young offenders are mixed with hard
ened criminals The Lorton Reform
atory was originally intended exclu-
sively for the rehabilitation of young
prisoners. Now it has more of the
aspects of Federal penitentiary and
includes in its population some dan
gerouS criminals 1t Is difficult to
conceive of worse way to strike at
the roots of crime than to throw
young prisoners together with hard
CllCo OIllCI
have modern reformatories for young
offenders between the ages of 18 and
%. A distressingly large number of
our prisoners are of this age, still
young enough to be reconstructed
Not only Go We not rehabilitate them,
but We house them together with the
more desperate criminals. The pleas
of Supt. Barnard for a correction
of this condition have not been heed
ed by Congress.
Committee Handicapped.
1t is gratifying to note that the able
committee investigating crime condi-
tions here shows disposition to dig
beneath the surface. This is also true
of this counsel But the committee
is handicapped both by inadequate
personnel and by time limitations.
However. if the committee is entirely
frank, and does not wander too far
afield, it will discover that some of
disgraceful situation in the District
of Columbia can be disclosed without
prolonged investigation and RESPONSE
bility placed in quarters not far re-
moved from the Capitol.
1t would be unfair to place all the
blame on Congress. Others are partly
responsible, some very much so, for
existing conditions And behind it all
lies a cause factor so deep and so
serious that it challenges all of us.
refer to the fact that VIE have in
the District thousands of under
privileged people, many of them COL
ored; many young men reared in ex-
treme poverty and with virtually no
training in their homes. Given equal
opportunity this class would be no
more troublesome than any other, but
know for a fact from my Parole
Board experience that this class is
responsible for the greater part of
the minor felonies.
We could eliminate 20 per cent
more If We could bring about the en-
actment of reasonably strict criminal
laws. We could eliminate 20 per cent
more through vigorous enforcement
and prosecution. Still another 80 per
cent would disappear if an under
privileged people could be elevated to
decent economic and social standards
We may not accomplish all OF these
objectives, but If we can bring about
the cooperation of all concerned,
including Congress, we can accom-
plish wonders.