Evening star., 1941-01-05
D. T.. Officials Cool
To Plan for Change
In Training School
Institution for Boys
As Unfit for Capital
As for U. S., Bondy Says

District officials have reacted
coolly to the suggestion of James
V. Bennett, superintendent of the
Bureau of Prisons. that the National
Training School for Boys. which he
termed unfit for Federal needs,
might be suitable as local receiv-
ing or training school for juveniles
from the District.
Welfare Director Robert E. Bondy
said yesterday he felt that the same
reasons which make the school un-
satisfactory as training center for
the Federal Government would apply
also to the District.
This would appear to be a step
Backward Mr. Bondy said The
District already has too many old
institutions with rundown buildings
and unsuitable locations.
Mr.. Bennett, in a report released
Friday as part of the annual report
of Attorney General Jackson. pro-
posed that the training school be
diverted from its present use, and
the juvenile prisoners-with the ex-
ception of those from the District
transferred to recognized standard
State and local juvenile training
schools elsewhere
Buildings Held ObsoIescent.
Expressing doubt that the insti-
tuition can be made adequate for
Federal needs, Mr.. Bennett said its
loca ton is too far removed from the
center of population of the country,
its buildings are obsolescent and it
offers no opportunity for develop
ment of modern receiving and
training center such as is contem-
plated by the Federal Juvenile De-
linquency Act.
obviously. it would be impracti-
cal to use the school as a receiving
home for children Mr.. Bondy said
1T is too far from the center Of
the city and is not readily accessible
to police, parents and children.
AS for continuing to use it as
training center for the Districts
juveniles after the Federal prisoners
have been transferred" he added,
that doesn't sound very practical
either. It's tremendously large
plant with more than 300 prisoners
now, and only 100 of these are Dis
trict cases.
Mr.. Bondy emphasized that he
was making "offhand observations"
without having read. Mr.. BENEFITS S
report in full. He said he planned to
give it careful study.
The welfare director pointed out
that. if the school is abandoned as
a training center for local juveniles,
the District may have to revise its
proposed plans for establishment
OF District of Columbia Welfare
Center on site to be selected in
nearby Maryland or Virginia,
Money Asked in 1912 Budget.
At present. the plans contemplate
a center providing facilities for the
two industrial home schools white
and colored), the National Training
School for Girls and the Home for
WIZ h6cu anu IllIlIlll. IL lS lllueI-
stood the Commissioners, in their
budget for the 1912 fiscal year, have
asked for appropriations for pur-
chase of land and preparation OF
initial engineering plans.
The center project is believed
necessary because of the poor physi-
cal condition of many of the in
stitutional buildings Mr. Bondy
said.
Commissioner John Russell Young
said he had not read Mr.. Bennett's
report on the training school, but
asserted that his proposals would
be given careful consideration. He
added. however, that the District
hopes to concentrate its efforts on
obtaining the welfare center project
Under the present set-up at the
training school, the District pays
50 per day to the Federal Bureau
of Prisons for each juvenile sent
there from Washington. The school
population of 339 now includes 238
Federal cases and 101 District
cases.