Evening star., 1946-04-19
Text Of Report on District Jail Inquiry

''O~ y
Federal Bureau Of Investigation,
which Is not hampered by the
restrictions of civil service.
The executive Of the Police
Department should have full au-
thority to select as police officers
those individuals he considers
most competent and able, to pro-
tect the safety of the general
public and the enforcement Of
the law and the apprehension of
its transgressors.
In submitting this report your
committee in no way desires to
reflect upon the splendid civic
service being rendered by the
civic-conscious citizens who COM
prise the Board of Public Well
fare. The testimony before the
committee showed that not one
member of that board of public
spirited citizens, who serve with
out pay. has ever had any expe-
rience In the operation and con-
duct of penal institutions.
It is patent, therefore, that
while their desires and motives
are undoubtedly Of the highest,
and certainly most laudable, they
cannot be expected to be experts
in field Of endeavor In which
they had had no previous expe-
rience.
Urges Removal Of Control
From Welfare Board.
Without implying any criticism
Of the present director OF Public
Welfare, who is loaded with far
too many and diverse respon-
sibilities, it seems obvious to this
committee that under no circum-
stances should he, the director of
Public Welfare, be in charge Of
the District Penal System.
We think further that matters
disclosed by the present inquiry
emphasize that under no circum-
stances should the general SUI
perintendent Of prisons, the res
ident superintendent of the Jail,
or the director Of public welfare
be q part Of the administering or
custodial structure Of the reme-
dial plan for the penal system
recommended by your commit
tee.
Your committee Is Of the opin-
ion, and emphatically so, that the
necessity Of public safety and the
proper administration Of the
penal institutions of the District
of Columbia are of far greater
importance than the clashing OF
personalities involved.
Your committee also emphar
sizes the fact that it casts no re-
hection on the honesty of the in
dividuals involved, but must insist
that there be a general reorgan-
ization, and the only manner in
which this can be accomplished is
for the immediate appointment
Of the trained and experienced
penal officer to be made available
by the director of the United
States Bureau of Prisons until
such time as permanent legisla-
ton can be enacted into law and
future definite responsibility and
authority established.
Your committee also recognizes
the laxity Of certain members OF
the metropolitan police who were
assigned to guard duty in the City
Jail, which laxity and disregard
OF instructions either directly or
indirectly contributed to two con-
demned prisoners escape from the
death cell. The committee de-
plores the reprehensible laxity Of
the two members of the metropol-
itan police which directly con-
tributed to the escape of the two
convicted murderers.
Police Chief Should Check
Force for Proper Personnel.
The major and superintendent
OF police Of the Metropolitan
Police Force should therefore
make a complete survey OF his
department and separate from
the service any individual officers
who do not meet the high stand
ards which should be justifiably
expected Of police officers Of the
District Of Columbia.
Your committee in this in
stance re-emphasizes again the
misunderstanding OF the major
and superintendent Of the Metro
politan Police in relation to the
civil service regulations, and
urges that an immediate meet
ing be held with the proper au-
thorities of the Civil Service
Commission in an effort to tenn
per the strict sense Of the law
with the application of common
sense in the public interest.
Your committee is also of the
opinion that the Board of Com
missioners should have expedited
the disposition Of charges pend
ing against the general superin-
tendent Of penal institutions,
which have contributed a great
deal to the overall picture of
confusion which exists. The de-
lay by the Commissioners was
most unfortunate and contributed
in no small measure to the gen.
eral confusion.
Your committee unhesitatingly
accepted the grave responsibility
of conducting this public investi-
cation. and just as unhesitatingly
discharges its duties by making
this report and recommendations,
but points out that unless the
recommendations as set forth are
acted upon Immediately and
torthrightly, conditions which are
critical will become more critical,
and therefore urges immediate
and prompt action.
Respectfully submitted,
OREN HARRIS,
j. M. COMBS,
SID SIMPSON,
JOSEPH o. O'HARA,
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