Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-02-27
State Control Of Jais,
Board for Paroles
Put Up 10 Legislature
3-Mon Agency Urged
To HundIe O'Conor's
Releasing Powers
By the Associated Press.

by tue ASSOCldbeu TTeSS.
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 27-A plan for
broadening State controls over
county jails, the subject of critical
report recently submitted to the ad-
ministration by two inspectors, and
for giving parole powers to reor-
ganized board were in the hands of
the Legislature today.
One of the measures would trans
fer the Governors present parole
prerogatives to three-man board
composed of two persons named by
the Governor without regard to
political Affiliations" and the chair
man of the Board of Correction.
The other bill would provide for:
/. Setting up in the Department
of Correction division of jail in
spection and supervision for county
jails, lockups and other places of de-
tention and confinement.
2. Authorizing the Board of Cor
rection to provide standards for
county jail maintenance and rules
for administration and operation.
8. Remedying non : compliance
with Jail standards and rules.
4. Authorizing the board to re-
move prisoners.
S. Authorizing the board to ap-
prove Jail construction or alteration
plans and to recommend plans for
regional jails.
Urged by Baltimore Democrats.
The parole bill was introduced by
Delegates Boone and Sklar, Balti-
more Democrats.
Under present law, the Parole
Board consists of one appointee of
the Governor. the attorney general,
the State superintendent of prisons
and the chief probation officer of
the Supreme bench of Baltimore.
This board makes parole recon-
mendations to the Governor, who
has the sole power to parole.
The new measure would give the
board the power to parole offenders
with indeterminate sentences in
reformatories without regard to the
minimum sentence to be served.
The bill as introduced was in con-
fiict with two pending measures in
the Senate which would grant pa
role powers over inmates of pro-
posed reformatories for men and
women between 16 and Is to the
State Board of Correction.
Awaits Reaction.
These Senate bills would reor-
ganize the Women's Prison and
State Penal Farm for Men into
reformatories for youthful offenders
where they would serve indeter-
inmate sentences during rehabilita-
ton.
Mr.. Sklar said his bill was sup
ported by the Prisoners Aid Asso-
citation, representatives of the Bal
timore Council of Churches, the
Baltimore Criminal Justice Com
mission and Maryland parole and
prison officials. -
Gov. O'Conor withheld full ad-
ministration support of the bill,
but said he was interested in see
ing the reaction of the General
Assembly to it.
Also introduced was an admin
istration resolution which would
have the Legislative Council in
vestigate the advisability of con-
solidated or regional jails for Mary
land in place of county Jail units.
Last nights Assembly session was
otherwise confined mainly to brief
debates in both houses. No bills
were passed.
Prison Labor Bill Defeated.
In the Senate major amendment
limiting to two more years the
power of the State Roads Commits
sion to use prison labor on high
ways was defeated, IA to 8.
A heavy schedule of committee
hearing was set for today.
Col. Beverly Ober, superintendent
of State police, and State Employ
ment Commissioner Walter D.
Owens were to appear before the
House Ways and Means Committee
to testify on several State police
bills.
The same committee is to have a
heaing on trio of physiotherapy
bills.
The major floor development this
week was expected to be final pass
age by the Senate of the first of
the three home rule" bills amended
last week to exclusive seven coun-