Evening star., 1946-04-21
Hebert Assured
Of Early Action
On Jail Funds
Request for 100000
Is Given Congress
Committee Chuirmen

Grafton in Congress of request fol
100000 to correct structural weak
nesses and add personnel at the
District Jail was promised yesterday
In the first positive action on Con-
gressional Investigating Committee s
communications for sweeping re-
forms in the Districts penal sys-
TEN.
Representative Hebert, chairman
of the House District subcommittee
which reported Friday, submitted a
formal request for the appropriation
to Senator O'Mahoney, chairman OF
the Senate Appropriations subcom-
mittee considering the Districts 1947
supply bill.
Both Senator O'Mahoney and
Representative Coffee, chairman OF
the House Appropriations subcom-
mittee, assured Mr.. Hebert they
would give the request early ano
careful consideration. With these
promises, he predicted Congress will
include the appropriation in the 1947
District budget for the fiscal year
beginning July l.
Board Acts Tomorrow.
Action on the Hebert report by
the Board of Public Welfare, now
administering the penal system, will
be taken at public meeting at :
pm. tomorrow. A majority of its
members said yesterday they had nc
personal objections to the plan fo1
establishing Department of Cor
rections by joint action of the We'll
fare Board and the Commissioners
1ndorsing the proposal for bor-
rowing AN expert from the Federal
Bureau of Prisons to reorganize the
penal system, Edgar Morris, We'll
fare Board chairman, predicted the
report will be productive of good
results promptly"
The District Commissioners, who
testified before the Congressional
committee in favor of stripping the
Welfare Board of its administrative
powers, still had no comment tc
make on the report yesterday.
However, the Commissioners are
believed ready to support the pro-
posal of the Herbert subcommittee
to place District adult penal insti-
tltutions under a separate Depart
ment of Corrections, apart from
the Welfare Board and directly
under themselves.
Comment Is Withheld.
While the city heads have with.
held comment on the report unit
they have had time to study il
thoroughly, the proposal for the
corrections department is beginning
to look better and better to them
In the overall reorganization of the
penal administration.
Commissioner Guy Mason ano
Engineer Commissioner Gordon R
Young are both known to be for
the proposal and Commissioner
John Russell Young is believed tc
be leaning toward it.
Last December, after the suspen-
sion of Howard B. Gill as general
superintendent of penal institutions
following the November "a escape
of five jail prisoners, an unoficia,
committee of citizens headed by
former United States Attorney Lee
A. Rover suggested a corrections
department.
Since the decision of the three
man trial board which conducted
hearings since mid-February or
Welfare Board charges against Mr.
Gill is due to be filed with the Com
missioners tomorrow morning. some
action in the form of hearings al
the Capitol on the pending measure
may be expected soon.
West Doubts Legality.
1t was considered possible that
the city heads might seek to incor-
porate the corrections department
as an amendment to the welfare
reorganization bill.
Meanwhile, Corporation Counsel
Vernon E. West expressed doubt
yesterday that the Welfare BOARD
could surrender any of the exclu-
sive control given it over penal in
stitutions by the Act of 1926 with
out new legislation.
Members of the Hebert group en-
phasized, while recommending long
range legislation to revise the penal
system, that corrections depart
ment could be put into effect at
once If the Welfare Board and the
Commissioners agree.
They recommended that the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation turn
over to the United States Attorney
for criminal prosecution and pres
entation to a grand jury its report
on escape of two convicted murder
ers from the District Jail.
FBI Report Not Ready.
The FBI said it's report would
not be ready for another week or II
days. United States Attorney Ed
ward M. Curran said he had nc
comment before receiving the re-
port. Attorney General Clark sale
he was studying the proposal.
Although not officially asked tt
provide estimates, District bulge
officers expect that all or a large
part of the 100000 "emefgency
appropriation will be included II
their 1947 budget estimates.
Mr.. Hebert seeks the money tt
construct wire cyclone fence
around the Jail with at least two
guard towers and electrically con
trolled gates, to remodel dinins
and visiting rooms and to install
a new control center, automatic
alarm and telephone system. II
addition, Jail personnel would b,
increased to approximately 100 a
cost of $145, 900.
Since the 1947 supply bill alread,
has passed the House, inclusion O.
the fund in the Senate bill woulc
send it to joint conference com.
mittee of the two houses which
eventually must iron out differ.
ences between the two versions o
the bill. Senator OMahoney ane
Representative Coffee undoubtedly
will be on the committee.
Callahan Has Begun Survey.
The Police Department jumped
the gun on the members of Con.
gress, according to Maj. Harvey G
Colla hon nn1joo a.,L