Evening star., 1939-04-16
Parole Conference
10 Be Addressed
By Roosevelt
Study Of Federal
And Stote Procedure
:. '1o.Be Undertaken

% A broad-gauge study of parole
procedure, both Federal and State,
,. will be undertaken here tomorrow
when the first National Parole Con-
ference convenes at the direction
Of President Roosevelt.
Between 700 and 800 participants
from public and private life are ex-
pected for the two-day session, at
which the President will be among
the speakers. These will include
Governors and their representa-
tives. Federal and State judges,
United States attorneys, State at
torneys general, the heads of Fed
eral and State prisons and parole
systems, police officials, leaders of
the bar, social workers, public well
fare administrators and others who
have an interest in this field.
The particular aims of the con-
ference were outlined by President
Roosevelt in January when he
wrote the Attorney General direct
ing that it be called "as a means
OF presenting the facts about pa
role, reaching agreements as to de-
sirable standards and procedures in
its administration and pointing the
way to closer cooperation between
the Federal Government and the
governments of the several States"
President Has Views.
The President, whose interest in
parole procedure goes back to his
days as Governor of New York, ex-
planned that he long had been of
the opinion that effective adminis-
tration of parole in all Jurisdictions
would promote the national we'll
being. land for that reason have
recently been concerned to observe
widespread misconceptions of the
true nature and purpose of parole
on the part of the public"
Some of the shortcomings of ex-
listing parole systems, and the bene-
ficial aspects of parole when prop
erly administered, recently were dis
cussed in a radio interview by Sam
A. Lewisohn of New York, presi-
dent of the Miami Copper Co. and
an authority on parole. He will be
temporary chairman of the confer
ence.
Mr.. Lewisohn, who headed COM
mittee on parole reform that was
set up by the then Gov. Roose-
welt in 1880, pointed out that there
are but eight States which have
f1rst-class parole systems; nine have
none whatever, and in between are
all kinds Of parole systems-from
poor to fair and some existing in
name only"
In particular, he emphasized. Is
the lack of adequate supervision
. for PAROLES noticeable. For exam
pie, in one State last year 1000 per-
sons were out on parole, and there
was but one parole officer to over
see the lot. Another State had 1000
PAROLES, checked by single clerk.
Political abuse in parole admin
istration is another bad spot, he
said.
These conditions exist, he con-
tinued. despite the fact good pa
role ystem can be administered on
an economical basis He cited New
York, where. he said, the per capita
cost of maintaining prisoners in
penal institutions is $500, while SUI
pervision for a parolee costs but SIS.
AS the conference meets here there
will be at its disposal a compre-
hensive survey on release proceed
ures that has just been completed
by the Department of Justice after
two years work. Reports on tech
nical aspects of the subject drafted
by committees named after the
conference was called also will be
available.
Registration for the conference
starts today at Wardman Park Ho-
tel, and the sessions will be held
at the Departmental Auditorium
on Constitution avenue.
To Speak from Portico.
President Roosevelt's address will
be in an unusual setting for such
affairs, the President speaking from
the south portico of the White
House at pm. tomorrow.
The first meeting will be at 10
am. tomorrow, and the keynote ad-
dress will be delivered by Attorney
General Murphy He will be fol-
lowed by Gov. Herbert H. Leh-
man of New York.
At the afternoon session the
speakers will include Gov. Leverett
Saltonstall of Massachusetts,, DR..
Robert Maynard Hutchins, presi-
dent of the University of Chicago.
and James V. Bennett, director of
the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The final session will be Tuesday
= afternoon. That night the conferees
will be the guests of Attorney Cen
eral Murphy at reception In the
Pan-American Union,