Evening star., 1946-04-22

1lA Lldue dG IIle meeting TO the
effect that the Welfare Board knows
nothing about penology, the report
said:
1T should be pointed out that the
members of the Board of Public
Welfare are not required to be
penologists. Theirs is an admins
trative function, and, even if they
were supposed to have knowledge of
penology, there was no excuse for
criticizing them in the presence of
their Subordinates"
Reference by Mr.. Gill to Fred S.
Kogod, Welfare Board member, as
"a retired grocery clerk" could have
no purpose other than to hold the
latter up to ridicule, the report said.
The decision of the three men,
bers of the inquiry board is in all
respects unanimous" the 26-page
report emphasized. Their task has
not been a happy one, nor has the
conclusion which they have reached
been pleasant"
Time of Decision Emphasized.
Walter M. Bastian, chairman,
stressed that the inquiry board
reached its decision before the con-
gressional committee recommended
Mr.. Gill's dismissal.
Although it found Mr.. Gill guilty
of failure to discipline juveniles, the
board pointed out that the jail was
not planned for their housing and
that the custody force was not spe-
cifieally trained to handle them.
Reprimanding superior officer in
front of their subordinateS 'indi-
Gates Mr.. Gill'S inability to sense
the effect that such actions would
have upon the morale of the en-
ployes of the JAIL" it added.
Abandonment of the control cells
was considered important because
"the more stubborn and refractory
prisoners became more arrogant.
knowing that they would not be
faced with the control cells, they
realized that the only more serious
punishment that could come to them
was the final punishment of loss of
good behavior time-something not
used without the approval of the
general superintendent"
Gill Differed With Others.
Mr.. Gill himself was the only
witness who testified that the use
of the basement control cells should
be Abandoned the report noted.
Similar cells are in general use in
penal institutions through the coun-
try, and have been found effective
and the only way of controlling des-
perate and refractory inmates"
During the hearing, Mr.. Gill in
sisted that his discovery of a huge
quantity of metal junk in cellblock
attic on December 3 justified the
stiff reprimand he gave the guard
force.
That material had been there
for long time" the inquiry board
pointed out. ut was not contraband
IN the sense that it had been
brought there by prisoners. 1t was
material left by workmen at the
time that part of the Jail was con-
structed and while without question
it should have been removed long
before, it ill-behoved Mr.. Gill to be
too critical, as the responsibility was
his as the actual, if not the official
head of the Jail
AT any rate" the board con-
cluded, "it would have contributed
more to the morale of the Jail per-
sonnel had criticism been directed
in a dignif1ed way and not in a
public meeting"
The three members of the board
are Mr.. Bastian and Francis w. Hill,
both former presidents of the Dis
trlct Bar Association, and Alfred H.
Lawson. prominent banker.
Welfare Board Meets Today.
Meanwhile, the Welfare Board,
which meets at 2 pm. today, is ex-
pected to indorse proposals for dis
misSal of Mr.. Gill and the loan of
an expert from the Federal Bureau
OF Prisons to reorganize the penal
system as recommended last week
by the House penal investigators.
Commissioner Young announced
he will promote legislation to estab-
llsh department of corrections
under the Commissioners, stripping
the Welfare Board of its administra-
tive powers. The congressional COM
mittee, headed by Representative
Hebert, Democrat, of Louisiana,
favored this plan and also recon-
mended that the department be
created Immediately by Joint action
of the Commissioners and the We'll
fare Board.
Commissioner Young doubted
however, that the department could
be legally established before Con-
gress acts.
His opinion was based on an
earlier statement by Corporation
Counsel Vernon E. West who
pointed out that the Welfare Board
was given exclusive control over
penal institutions by an act of 1926.
1t might be possible for the Welfare
Board to delegate its powers to a
penal superintendent, if not the
Commissioners, according to A.
Harding Paul, vice chairman of the
board.
Huff Abides by Decision.
| Ray L. Huff, welfare director. said
today he would abide by the de-
cision of the Welfare Board on the
congressional recommendation that
he have nothing to do with the penal
system.
II am sure the Welfare Board will
act promptly to carry out the rec
concentrations of the Hebert Com
mittee," he said. II have no feeling
in the matter"
Commissioner Guy Mason, who ia =
vored the separate corrections de-
partment when he testified before
Mr., Hebert's committee, reported
today he had no plans, and I am
not going to talk about it at all''
until the Board of Commissioners
takes action.
Both legislation for a corrections
department and final action on a
request for 100000 to correct per-
sonnel and structural deficiencies
at the jail must await the end o1
the House Easter recess April 20.
: The OMahoney subcommittee o,