Evening star., 1946-04-16
us. Prison Chic
Advises House
Jail Probers
Hebert Also Plans
Conference With
Attorney General

The House District Subcommittee
investigating the District Jail held
a closed session today with James
V. Bennett, director of the Federal
Bureau of Prisons, discussing what
Chairman Hebert afterward called
"the obvious ineficiency of the JAIL"
and what should be done about it.
Mr.. Hebert said there were no
conclusions to be announced at this
time, but he was hopeful the sub
committee sould make report later
in the week. He planned, mean
while, perhaps this afternoon, to
confer with Attorney General Clark
and receive a report of the indie
pendent investigation of the recent
jailbreak which the FBI made.
Whether the hearings closed yes
terday will be reopened for further
testimony will depend on what the
FBI has found, Mr.. Hebert ex-
planned.
Mr.. Bennett said he talked over
with the subcommittee the "rela-
tionship of the Federal Bureau of
Prisons with Federal prisoners in
District prisons" and expressed the
interest of the Attorney General
and the Justice Department in the
situation and their desire to be
helpful.
Ready to Help.
Asked by reporters if he was
ready, should Congress so decree, to
have the Bureau of Prisons take
over District penal institutions, as
has been suggested during the hear
ings, Mr.. Bennett replied: LAS an
individual I am ready to do what
can to help carry out any change
which might affect my department"
Mr.. Bennett said the proposal
was not discussed in any detail at
the meeting, though it had been
brought up before.
The Federal prison director said
he made number of recommended
tions regarding the District Jail, at
the subcommittee suggestion, but
he would not disclose what these
were.
Mr.. Hebert said Mr.. Bennett had
proved the most helpful witness who
ha1 been before the House group.
He added that the subcommittee
considered Mr.. Bennett the out
standing penologist of the country
and wanted his diagnosis of local
conditions and a suggested remedy
Board Not on Trial.
Asked whether the efficiency of
the Public Welfare Board in admin
istering the Jail was taken up, the
chairman replied: THE board is
not on trial here. No one is
He added, in response to further
questions, that his answer was not
to be construed as implying the
committee would not fix response
bility for "the obvious inefdciency
of the jail" or would not urge any
change it felt necessary.
II repeat what I have said BEFORE"
said Mr.. Hebert, "let the chips fall
where they may
The committee today placed in
the record a letter from Commis-
sioner Guy Mason correcting his
testimony that the Civil Service
Commission had refused higher sal
aries to jail guards.
Mason Admits Error.
Mr.. Mason said he was in error
in testifying that the commission
was to blame in refusing higher
salaries, since the Public Welfare
Board had never submitted a salary
reclassiication list to the Com
missioners.
Commissioner Mason wrote:
"On April I testified that the
Commissioners had requested re-
classification of the guards at the
District Jail and that the Civil Serv-
ice Commission had denied the re-
quest. was wholly in error.
"The Welfare Board never sub
mitted to the Commissioners the re-
classification sheets for the guards,
and the Commissioners never sub
mitted any request for reclassifica-
tion Of the guards to the Civil Serv-
ice Commission.
somewhat Confused"
"In giving my testimony, I was
somewhat confused by memo
randum had received on April 81,
1912, from the then superintendent
of penal institutions, Ray L. Huff,
discussing the inadequacy of the pay
of the guards at the Jail and the
reformatory. I had other discus
sions during the year on the same
subject with Mr.. Huff, but none of
these resulted in any application
being made by the Welfare Board
for reclassification.
II make this correction in justice
to the Civil Service Commission,
and kindly ask the chairman of the
subcommittee to incorporate this
letter in the proceedings of the
hearings"