Evening star., 1946-04-19

oOdIO VI GuUllC Wcl1dIC anu
the District of Columbia Com
missioners. They must be In full
agreement and accord and waive
all technicalities Of legislative re-
course in an effort to guarantee
Immediately to the District of
Columbia in full protection from
escaped criminals.
In this connection your COM
mittee strongly and emphatical-
ly urges that:
2. PENDING FURTHER Leg
ISLATIvE ACTION AND SET
ELEMENT OF THE FINAL
STATUS OF THE PRESENT
GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT
OF PENAL INSTITUTIONS
THE LOAN OF A COMPETENT
DIRECTOR OF THE NEW DE-
PARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
FROM THE FEDERAL PRISON
SYSTEM SHOULD BE OBJ
TANNED:
This individual, II obtained,
should be given immediate au-
thority to put into effect At once
all necessary changes In person.
mel and in operations necessary
for the full protection Of the
public.
The situation in the District Of
Columbia institutions is critical
and it cannot be permitted to
continue without fortnight and
competent leadership. Irrespec-
tive Of the outcome Of the issues
regarding the present general
superintendent and their ulti-
mate disposition, it Is obvious
that this will require time, and
for the immediate future a COM
petent director must be placed
in charge who has not been in
volved in any Of the present diff
culties. The Attorney General
has indicated he would be glad to
cooperate and would doubtless
make available some trained per-
son If this could be consistent
with his responsibilities for the
Federal Prison System.
Calls Sperintendent's
Usefulness at End.
In this connection, your COM
mittee does not desire to discuss
or make any conclusions relative
to charges brought against the
present general superintendent,
but because Of the very nature of
these charges and subsequent
developments, and the complete
breakdown of the morale and dis
cipline in the penal system, the
usefulness of the general super
intendent so far as the District
Of Columbia penal institutions
are concerned, is at an end.
Your committee makes the OBJ
servation that regardless of the
ability of the present general
superintendent, an impasse has
arisen whereby he cannot under
any circumstances be continued
In the capacity of general super
intendent. Your committee Is
also of the opinion that the pres
ent resident superintendent of
the Jail has been made an un-
willing and unwilling victim of
divided responsibility and lack of
coordination by his superiors in
the Jail operation and custodial
practice.
He has been placed in the un-
fortunate position of being called
upon to serve more than one
master, and at a loss to know and
to determine which one to serve
at the moment. This has re-
suited in a most unfortunte sit
uation, so far as he Is concerned,
but at the same time indicates
that he, too. cannot continue to
serve toward any useful end in
his present capacity. Your COM
mittee, however, makes this OBJ
servation, that the present resi-
dent superintendent has been
made victim Of circumstances
over which he had no control and
has suffered in his capacity as .
result Of these circumstances.
3. CONTEMPORANEOUSLY
WITH THIS ACTION AND AS
A REINSURANCE TO THE
NEW DIRECTOR, THE PROPER
OFFICIALS WOULD REQUEST
AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIA-
TION OF APPROXIMATELY
100000 TO BE IMMEDIATELY
AVAILABLE AND CONTINUE
AVAILABLE DURING THE
NEXT FISCAL YEAR: -
This would be used to
strengthen the more critical OF
the existing structural weak
nesses in the District Jail, pro.
vide additional personnel and re-
classify salaries to the level Of
Of those applying to the Federal
system.
A. The tightening of the Gus
todial features of the jail would
include:
1. A wire cyclone fence about
the Jail and at least two guard
towers to cost about $4,000.
2. Sallyports, internal elec-
trically controlled gates, grills
and bars, new locking devices,
to cost about $4,000.
8. Remodeling dining room and
visiting room facilities, to cost
about $25,000.
4. Control center, $4,000.
(5) Automatic alarm and in
ternal telephone system to cost
on rental basis about 5000 per
year.
B. Increasing the number Of
personnel at the Jail to approxi-
mately 120 forty -hour-week posts
would cost about $l45,000 an
annually.
c. Redistribution of person.
mel would cost about $4,000 an
nually.
All of the foregoing estimates
are tentative only and based on
squickly assembled data. There
are other construction needs,
principally a new control corri-
dor, which can be added later
as funds become available. Be-
fore final decision as to the funds
needed is made the District au-
thorities should be asked to SUBJ
init detailed budget estimates.
4. REVIEW AND REVISE I'M
MEDT ATETv nYTr rC AMI