Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-02-02
Movement Launched
To Improve Penal
system in D. T..
Social Agencies Unit
Hears Mrs. Roosevelt
And Robert Jackson

A campaign to focus public at
tention on the District crime prob
lem and stimulate the movement
for reorganization and improve
ment of the penal system here was
launched last night by the Correc-
tons Committee of the Council of
Social Agencies.
Solicitor General Robert H. jack
son and other speakers presented a
factual indictment of the local crime
situation at forum meeting spon-
sored by the committee and held in
the United States Chamber of Com
merce Auditorium, with Mrs. Roose-
welt presiding.
LAS long as we have slums, ex-
IRENE poverty and poor health
conditions we always will have
people who experience difficulty in
adjusting themselves in the COM
munity," Mr.. Roosevelt said in a
brief talk before introducing Mr..
jackson. When we improve stand
ards of living we are striking at the
very roots of crime"
Mr.. Jackson said that "the Dis
trict, as the Capital of the Nation.
has a large transient population
and crime problem of some mag
nitude. 1t is the purpose of this
meeting, without hysteria, to over
come public Indifference and to
arouse that substantial and general
interest and study necessary to es-
tablish a modern policy of crime
treatment.
Odds Against Justice.
IT think we must agree" he con-
tinued, that when 1t comes to
handling criminals, all of the courts
fingers seem to be thumbs. Sur
prise alibis. delays. political fixes,
technicalities, new trials, sympathy
and perjury load the dice in favor
of the INSCRIPTIONS and against
society.
Disparity between sentences i'm
posed in different districts, by diff
ferent judges, for practically the
same offense, committed under
similar circumstances. has resulted
in such unequal punishment as to
arouse the notice of the last Judicial
Conference presided over by Chief
Justice Hughes"
Mr.. Jackson defended the parole
system and said parole will not be
fully utilized until the parole officer
supervises and aids all convicts,
whether paroled or released at the
end of terms, to return to normal
life.
THE District of Columbia recog-
nizes that crime is but part of its
general social problem and that a
unification and stimulation of those
forces that would make for a better
community life will help reduce the
crime rate. The most hopeful sign
of our times is in thus placing crimi-
nal conduct in a right relation to
the whole social and economic pat
tern, as a concern of all people,
and in recognizing the primary pur-
pose Of punishment to be restora-
ton of broken lives" Mr.. Jackson
declared.
Other Phases to Be Considered.
Wilbur La Roe, jr, general chair
man of the Penal Reorganization
Committee of the Council of So
cial Agencies, who introduced Mrs.
Roosevelt, said the next forum
meeting on District prison reform
will deal more deeply and at greater
length with more important phases
of the crime problem" There will
be time for questions from the floor,
he said
For example, there is no reforma-
tory in the District for boys between
the crucial ages of II and a." Mr..
La Roe declared citing subjects for
future consideration. II feel we
have some innocent prisoners in our
Jail. and I feel the parole system
Is not working as well as it should"
Other speakers on last nights pro-
gram were Eugene Meyer, publisher
of the Post, who discussed the Dis
trict penal system from the citizens
standpoint; Judge Joseph N. Ulman,
Baltimore, member of the Prison
Industries Reorganization Board,
who spoke in place of DR.. Louis
N. Robinson, board chairman, who
was unable to attend, and DR.. James
A. Nolan, director of the Washington
Criminal Justice Association.
Mr.. Meyer cited reports that go
per cent of the criminal population
are "repeaters." Prisoners in the
District serve their sentences" he