Evening star., 1947-09-07
DC. Jail Report
ShowsF Full Year
With No Escapes
Corrections Director
Cites improvement in
Security and Morale
By Nehon M. Shephord

Security and Morale
By Nehon M. Sheppard
For the first fiscal year in its his
tory the District jail has not had a
successful escape of any kind, Direc-
tor Donald Clemmer of the Districts
new Department of Corrections re-
ported to the Commissioners yester-
day.
Compared with last year, Mr..
Clemmer said, when a record total
Of 80 escapes from the Jail and the
Workhouse was reported, loosing a
torrent of criticism from Congress
and the public this year only one
escape was reported from the Re-
formatory and six from the Work.
house.
The Department OF Corrections
was formed on June a., 1916,
separating the adult penal institu-
tions of the District from the Board
Of Public Welfare, following the
Medley-McFarland escapes of April,
1916. 1t is now directly under the
commissioners.
Split Authority Ended.
Mr.. Clemmer added: '..The new
law has provided for a vertical flow
of authority from the Commission
to the Director of the new Depart
ment, and this clear-cut delineation
Of responsibility has obviated the
jurisdictional misunderstanding
and split authority which In recent
years has been casual in part of so
much difficulty and unfavorable
publicity"
It was to the District Jail, par
ticularly, that Director Clemner in
vited attention. Long the weakest
link in the penal SYSTEM" he re-
minded, 'it has in the current year
shown striking improvement in the
grass roots of penology." Then he
added:
The morale of the prisoners has
been elevated and the number of
disciplinary problems reduced
through Inauguration of closer GUS
tody and modernization of e.iminis-
tration by strong, experienced
superintendent and an able staff.
For the first year in it's escape
ridden history, the District Jail Gid
not lose man. In cleanliness Of
inmates and sanitation OF plant
in the palatability and sIfhciency of
food-in the classification IF work
and medical program-and in all
other respects the progress at the
jail has been observable and MEAS
urable.'
One Escape Successful.
The report refers to the one suc-
cessful escape from the "unwalled,
unfenced and unbarred" reforma-
tories and workhouse in Virginia.
That escape, it said, was "a walk
away by humble, suJhern colored
man, who edged too close to the
woods while working as trusty IN
a farm field, and who has not l'een
apprehended since
OF the six prisoners who escaped
from the Workhouse, three were re-
captured within a few hours near
the reservation, the others within a
few days by police in Richmond and
Washington.
The $261 900 program for needed
security measures at the jail after
last years sensational escapes and
other disturbances have been in
stalled with the aforementioned
results, Mr.. Clemmer reported.
A understanding fence has
been built around the Jail and is
complete except for installation of
electrical devices at the gates. Two
guard towers, one at the east en-
trance and the other at the west
entrance, have been built and at
the close of the fiscal year were
nearly ready for service. Work has
begun on "a control center in the
heart of the institution he re-
ported, on two new corridors to con-
troll inmate traffic and on other
improvements, including new re-
ceiving unit. In general, at the close
Of the fiscal year, the construction
work at the Jail was only half COM
pieted, due to shortage of labor
and materials.
- Aid Given Alcoholics.
With about so per cent OF the
Workhouse inmates having been
committed for drunkenness, Mr..
Clemmer pointed out, three-way
approach has been provided as an
aid to rehabilitation. Formation OF
a consultation service for alcoholics,
cooperation with the washington
Chapter of Alcoholic Anonymous,
and a religious program under chap
lain supervision constitute this ap-
proach.
IThe consultation service for alco-
holics, he said, has made a con-
scientious study Of individual cases
of problem drinking with view
first, to collecting data for research
end secondly, to give advice and
counsel to the subjects" This serv-
ice has been restricted to men with
60-day sentences or more.
Each week, the report added, be-
tween three and seven members Of
Alcoholic Anonymous conduct meet
tings for the inmates. These meet
ings have been attended by 80 to
90 men, and many chronic alcoholics
who have been coming to the work.
house for years are not coming back
any more.
Director Clemmer declared the
generally low morale of cllstodial
employees, when the new Department
was created, had offered a "chal-
lenging problem"
The morale of personnel has been
improved through prompt dealing
on grievances" ne reported. While
the grievances registered have been
foa, he said some ernanated from