Evening star., 1936-09-15
REPEATING FELONS
LAID TO LAWYERS.
Defense Attorneys Blamed
for Development of
Criminals.
Nv the Associated Press.

Sy the Associated Press
4. CHICAGO, September 15.-A report
TO the sixty-sixth annual congress
OF the American Prison Association
by its Committee on Crime Preven-
fion declared today that the conduct
of defense attorneys in criminal cases
was an important factor in the de-
selopment Of repeating felons.
The report said that ats per cent
Of the prisoners" in penal institutions
Of the United States had been liter
ally faced about" into a career Of
crime "by their experiences in the
hands of the defense attorneys who
pleaded their cases at the bar"
THE coaching of the defense at
torney," the committee held, tended
to help the defendant find an alibi
for his misdeeds and sedative for
his conscience" when the public well
fare demanded procedure which would
"quicken the sensibilities OF the
prisoner and awaken him to
his own misdeeds."
The report charged that this sys-
tenn had been developed to the point
where "juries hearing only the state
rnents and arguments of defense at
torneys and testimony introduced by
them would never convict the ac-
cused."
Delegates Consider Report.
Presented last night by Committee
Chairman H. " Bastin, superintendent
Of Ormsby Village, Anchorage, KY
the report was considered today by
500 prison congress delegates.
The American court system-"the
method of selecting juries, the battle
Of wits between opposing attorneys
the deliberate coloring of testimony
BY both sides, the prominence to tbs
proceeding given by the press"-was
criticized by the committee.
Introduction of more scientific
methods into the machinery for pre-
venting and combating crime was
Urged in the report, which estimated
the country's annual crime cos: al
SIS 5,000,0 900, one-fourth of the ma
tional income and half the size of the
war debt.
The problem would not be solved
the report predicted, until the public
realized that "the problem Of crime
u the problem of every citizen"
Commission Proposed.
A proposal to create an interstate
prison commission was approved last
night by representatives of 25 States
The purpose of the commission will
be to control interstate crime, much
on the same order as the Interstate
Commerce Commission controls inter-
state business.
Delegates to the Association oi
States Signatory to the interstate
prison compact, which drafted the
proposal, said it would put an effec-
tive barrier across that area between
Federal and State law enforcement
which Attorney General Homer Cum
nings described as "the twilight zone
q sort of neutral corridor, unpoliced
and unprotected, in which criminals
OF the most desperate character
found unholy sanctuary"
Under the compact, the commission
would be made up of one representa-
tive of each of the 48 states, to be
chosen by the Governor after the
Legislature Of his State adopted q
model interstate prison commission
act'
Cooperation Is Sought.
AS soon as a State signed, the COM
pact would become effective between
1t and other Signatories.
A major goal of the compact was
"to promote cooperation among the
States and the Federal Govern
ment and other agencies" in eliminat-
ing idleness among convicts resulting
from Federal and State restrictions
on the sale of prison-made goods.
To get the plan going quickly,
the Association of State Signatory
authorized its chairman, Col. John j.
Hannah Of Madison, Wis, and its
secretary, Howard Gill of Washington,
D. c., to ask Governors of at least
three States" to invite all Governors
to an interstate meeting.
The session was to be called before
January Is, 1887, so that the model
law could be presented by the Gov
ernors to the Legislatures of the
several States.
Approval of the compact was pre-
ceded by an address in which Justin
Miller, special assistant to Attorney
General Cummings, recalled resolu-
tons by the American Bar Association
urging just that sort Of cooperative
fighting against crime.