Evening star., 1945-01-08
Psychiatrist Needed
For '0rdinaryLooking'
Deranged, Says Gill

"The fellow who acts crazy Is a
cinch," Howard B. Gill. District
penal institutions superintendent,
said. "It's the ordinary looking
people we need psychiatrist for"
Mr.. Gill supported the proposal
made public last week by the Board
of Indeterminate Sentence and Pa
role that ful-time psychiatrist
should be placed on the staff of Dis
trict penal institutions Other large
cities have them. Frank r. Jelleff,
chairman of the board. wrote to the
Commissioners. He said the board
was at a disadvantage trying to
decide without benefit of expert
psychiatric advice when prisoners
are able to resume normal life.
Twenty persons now in District
Jail await trial for murder, Mr..
Gill said None has had a psychi-
atric examination. He does not be-
lieve all these persons are psy-
chotics. But he would like to know
something about them.
Are they feeble minded? Nor
NAL? Abnormal, he asked. "A
psychiatric examination should be
the whole basis of treatment of
prisoners here"
Board Yet To Study Request.
The Board of Commissioners has
not yet considered the parole boards
request. The penal institutions
made the same requests in the bud
get estimates for 1916, but it was
eliminated. Commissioner Guy Ma
son, under whose jurisdiction the
penal system falls, said informally,
however:
II have always been in favor of
such service-if we can get a
psychiatrist."
Mr.. Mason said he could think
OF several ways to arrange payments
of a Jail psychiatrist. But he hesi-
tates to undertake it while approxi-
mately six positions already estab-
lished for psychiatrists at Gallinger
Hospital are still vacant, he said.
Instead. he prefers employing out
side doctors to handle specific Jail
cases until the doctor shortage
eases. He is still investigating the
matter, however, he said, with the
help of Budget Officer Walter l..
Fowler.
Cites Hockenberry Case.
Asked to comment on the parole
boards request, Mr.. Gill said that
protection of the public is another
major argument for it. He re-
called the cause of Joseph Hocken-
berry, 20, who was sent to Jail year
and a half ago to serve more than
four years on three convictions of
assault on women. The court
ordered him examined by a PSYCHE
artist. With no such doctor on the
staff. the Jail sent him to Gallinger
Hospital for mental study. Seven
months later he beat up a guard
escaped to Alabama and raped a
woman. He was caught, convicted
and sentenced to be executed.
Fifteen other Jail prisoners have
escaped from Gallinger wards in a
similar manner between July, 1912,
and September, 1914. Gallinger, Mr..
Gill explained, is hospital-not a
Jail. When the courts-as they have
in 18 instances in the last three
months-ask for psychiatric exami-
nation for a prisoner, he should be
examined under proper safeguard at
the Jail, Mr.. Gill said.
Besides these four beneficiaries of
Jail psychiatric service-the public,
the courts. the parole board and the
penal institutions themselyes-the
prisoners. too, are entitled to the
service, Mr.. Gill said.
Modern criminology says it Is the
due of man charged with capital
offense that the courts should give
him q psychiatric examination" Mr..
Gin said.
Experienced in Penal Systems.
Appointed six months ago, the
superintendent has had years of
experience in Massachusetts, and
other penal systems. He hopes some
day the District will have law SINH
lar to the Massachusetts, provision
that all criminals charged with cap
ital of1enses or who have been Jailed
before on serious charges, be ex-
amined automatically by PSYCHE
artist. -
Habitual "drunks," for example
who have even become discouraged
themselves as they face the judge
for the thirtieth or fortieth time,
often beg, "help me-" Mr.. Gill said
A Jail psychiatrist could help them
"Psychiatric service" Mr.. Gill re-
peated. Should be the whole basis OF
treatment at the District jail"