Evening star., 1939-04-18

10 cooperating WIN the JuSClce De-
partment, is making the first Ma
ton wide survey of the methods by
which prisoners are released into
society and has furnished much
needed personnel for educational
and other programs in the inStitu-
tions of 80 States. It has installed
police signal systems and finger
print files in cities which could not
otherwise afford them. 1t has also
furnished the labor for the construc-
ton or repair of jails and police
stations throughout the country,
Through the Public Works Admin
istration over $26,OOO,OOO has been
made available for the construction
improvement and repair of prisons
and jails, with the result that many
old, unhealthy and overcrowded
centers of crime infection have
been replaced by modern facilities.
OF this amount over $1,000 900 has
been for State and local projects.
Welfare Program Praised.
All of these direct attacks on
crime which we have made through
extending and strengthening Fed
eral activities and in helping to i'm
prove State and local agencies Of
law enforcement are important.
But I like to think that the most
far-reaching results have come
from our broad program of social
welfare-from our work relief prof.
ects, the Civilian Conservation
Corps, the National Youth Admin
istration and the related measures
for providing useful work for those
of our citizens who are unemployed
by private industry. Our citizens
who have been cut of work in the
last six years have not needed to
steal in order to keep from starving.
OF course, when we instituted these
activities We did not have in mind
merely the narrow purpose of pre-
venting crime. However, nobody
who knows how demOralizing the
efforts of enforced idleness may be
will be inclined to doubt that crime
prevention has been an important
by-product of our effort to provide
our needy unemployed citizens with
the opportunity to earn by honest
work at least the bare necessities of
life. And considerable part of that
honest work has been devoted to
the construction and supervision of
such social assets as Fairgrounds,
athletic fields, municipal swimming
pools, gymnasiums. workshops, trav-
cling libraries, schools and other
educational and recreational facili-
ties which are of particular benefit
to youth.
Throughout the depression ap-
proXimately one-third of all our un-
employed have been youth under
the age of 25. Not long ago I read
a report from a small city which
had a reputation for juvenile de-
linquency. In collaboration with
local agencies, the National Youth
Administration started a work prof.
ect which provided part time jobs
for the idle youth of this COM
munity. When the project was first
started there was considerable
soldering on the job. but gradu-
ally the interest and pride of those
boys was aroused. For the five
months since the N. Y. A. project
had been started there had not
been a single complaint of delin-
quency to the local police officers.
That is concrete contribution to
our common security-not only now,
but for the years to come.
Bungling Is Seen.
AS I review our achievements in
this co-ordinated drive against
crime, it seems to me that we have
made the least progress in the very
important matter of getting people
from prison back into society. This
conclusion. I am told. is confirmed
by the findings of the Attorney Gen.
erals survey of release procedures
now being published by the Depart
ment of Justice. This is an unfor-
tunate state of affairs. Let us not
forget for one moment that 81 out
of every 100 of the men and women
we send to prison must some day
come out again.. Between 10000 and
10000 persons are released from
Federal and State prisons and re-
formatories every year. What they
do when they come out is matter
Of great Importance to all of us. It
is Nationwide problem and at the
same time a local problem. We
make little permanent gain by the
arrest. prosecution and punishment
OF prisoners if they 60 back te
criminal activities. More than one
half OF the persons in prison today
have had to be locked up at least