Evening star., 1946-04-14
Group Urges Separate
Corrections Division
Such Change Seen As Pruning"
OF Welfare Board Tree
Bv John w. THOMPSON

By John w. Thompson
The penal administrator of today is
no longer to be considered a Jail turn
key, whose responsibility begins and
ends with the snap of the lock behind
a prisoner. He is scientist whose ex-
periments seek regrafting of the roots
of wayward men and women into the
society and community from which cir
cumstance has torn them.
This is what Howard B. Gill, suspend
ed superintendent of District penal
institutions, meant when he told a
three-man board trying his fitness for
his job that board of laymen can no
more run prisons effectively than they
could run police department.
And at the same time the term Cor
rections" is coming into increasing vogue
as the proper category for penal science
as distinct and separate from public
welfare" This science looks to close
integration of trial, confinement and
release agencies. specifically courts,
prisons and parole systems. The aim
of all is rehabilitation.
To those who accept this theory, lay
administration of penal institutions no
longer fits the need.
Perhaps, then, District penal institu-
tions should be operated as a depart
ment of corrections as a cure for the
Intellectual administration disclosed at
hearings before a House subcommittee
investigating the Medley Mcfarland
escapes from Jail.
Welfare Board Chairman Edgar Nor
ris, jr., has suggested to the congress
sional group that the institutions might
be placed under the prison administra-
ton of the Department of Justice. A
committee of citizens headed by former
District Attorney Leo Rover has sug-
gested to the Commissioners a depart
ment of corrections and superintendent
of corrections under the city heads. The
difference between these two proposals
is the difference between increased fed
eralization and retention Of greater local
control in the District.
For the suggestion OF Mr.. Morris this
much must be said. AS result of the
city's unique status of complete domi-
nation by the United States under the
Constitution, felonies here are crimes
against the Federal Government rather
than against the local community. The
criminals are prosecuted by a Federal
attorney, sentenced in Federal court and
confined at the instance of the Attor-
ney General. Thus giving the local
penal institutions to the Department of
Justice would complete a seemingly
logical sequence OF Federal control and
place responsibility for the security of
the prisoners wholly with the National
Government.
District prisoners jailed for minor Of
fenses of purely District character could
be boarded on a per diem basis at Dis
trict expense in a manner similar to
present District support OF city patients
at st. Elizabeth's and local inmates of
the National Training School for Boys
Such financial arrangement would cor
rect the present injustices being done
the local taxpayers in the requirement
by the United States that the District
reimburse Federal institutions for the
board OF District prisoners confined
there, while. on the other hand, con-
flning Federal prisoners at District ex-
pense at Lorton Reformatory and the
jail without reimbursement Ofacials
have estimated that support of District
prisoners in Federal penetentiaries will
cost $246, 900 this year and like amount
next year at daily rate of $274. At
the same rate Federal prisoners in Dis
trict institutions could cost the city
$3.50 900 a year.
For the period from 1872 to 1911 the
District Jail was actually under the
Department of Justice, the Commission
ers succeeding in having it transferred
to them In the latter year with the
consent of Attorney General George
Wickersham. However, the legislation
e1ecting the change established the
right of the Federal Government to con-
fine its prisoners there and made no
mention of reimbursement In 1915 the
law was. passed requiring the District
a
District prisoners on per diem rate
based on per capita operating costs of
the institutions.
BY an act of 1902 the marshal of the
District was authorized to build a Jail.
Apparently it was under no one but the
marshal or his assistant until 1864 when
the warden was made subject to presi-
dental appointment with advice and
consent OF the Senate. He had to sub
NIT an annual report to the Secretary of
the Interior. In 1867 the Supreme Court
OF the District was given authority to
draw up rules and regulations and two
years later was handed appointment and
removal OF the warden. When in 1872
Justice Department took over the court
still appointed the warden. After TAX
ing 1t over in 1911, the Commissioners
surrendered it along with the other
penal and welfare institutions to the
Welfare Board in 1926.
The proposal of the Rover group
in fact, would do little besides prune
prisons from the welfare tree and estab-
lish the dominance of trained penal per-
sonnel over the institutions. 1t, how
ever, entirely in line with develop
ment of District municipal government,
To carry this through completely per-
haps the city should have its own prose-
cutor to prosecute in its own courts under
its own felony statutes. Purely Federal
cases could be tried as such by Federal