Evening star., 1937-09-19
|NDETERM|NATE
| TERMS ARE URGED
Huff Asks Parole Board Dis
Cretion on Sentences for
Misdemeanors.


sentences for persons convicted of
misdemeanors, fixing the maximum
term at one year, and leaving the Dis
trict Parole Board to determine when
the misdemeanant should be released,
was proposed yesterday by Ray L.
Huff, general superintendent OF Dis
trict penal institutions.
The Districts indeterminate SEN
tence law now applies only to the sem
tences of felons and the courts fix def
mite terms to be served by persons
convicted of minor offenses. Within
the limits regulated by law, the Judge
decides the length Of sentence. ac-
cording to the circumstances of the
individual case.
In his first annual report as penal
director, Huff asked the Commissioners
to give the Parole Board the same
sort of control over misdemeanants 1t
now has over felons and said. This
will provide substantially the legisla-
ton needed to stabilize the misde-
meanant group provide effective
classification, and approach the prob
lem of the inebriate"
Huff explained that hundreds of
persons confined for drunkenness are
repeaters. The thought is that in
some cases the practice could be
broken up If the inebriate were con-
fined long enough to permit Of effec-
tive medicaY treatment.
Warns of Disease Danger.
Huff asked for several other
changes in law to improve the op-
Grafton of the present indeterminate
sentence law and the good time"
statute for felons
A series of stories published by The
Star last Fall detailed the lack of
medical facilities and personnel and
described the extent of disease among
prisoners
Warning that the hazard of spread
of disease in the District is increased
by lack of facilities at the Jail Re-
formatory and Workhouse for treat
ment Of diseased inmates, Huff urged
the Commissioners to seek congress
sional approval of requested funds for
additional sanitary facilities and per-
sonnel for the institutions.
Sixteen thousand prisoners were
! admitted to and discharged from the
workhouse last year and 5000 re-
turned to the District" Huff said
These persons were exposed to hous-
ing and work conditions, and the
use Of milk, in the same area where
an untreated effluent from the sew
ers is discharged into an open stream
of meager water volume.
VenereaI Diseases Frequent.
"Our medical facilities at the jail
and workhouse are such that we do
not know accurately those inmates
who are suffering from contagious
or infectious diseases. The incidence
Of venereal disease found at the re-
formatory would indicate that ap-
proximately 5000 persons suffering
from venereal disease are included in
the $4,000 Of last year, in many cases
without this condition being detect
3D. and most of the others without
suitable treatment.
1T is estimated that at any given
time there are approximately $50
persons suffering from tuberculosis
in the workhouse for men. These
are only partly detected and suitable
facilities for segregation 90 not ex-
list. They, together with those suf-
fering from other diseases, increase
the hazards of contagion to the dis
trict to which they return.
Before anything else is done, 1t
seems prudent to place a sewage
treatment plant at the workhouse,
where there is none. Reasonable
minimum medical facilities, at least
fo- the detection Of disease and min
imum treatment, should be pro-
vided before we consider extending
buildings or the introduction of the
essential programs.
"The sewage system at the re-
formatory area is inadequate to at
tempt to meet the needs of an in
institution three times as large as
its capacity warrants. The effect is
that practically raw sewage is dis
charged into an open stream passing
through the reservation property and
adjacent to that owned privately,
with consequent dangers to health
and in conflict with the laws of
Virginia"