Evening star., 1947-01-13


a prisoners program Of education
ranging from the ABCs for Hitter
ates to studies of mans place in So
ciety for those who had found
themselves out Of place in 1t.
Lorton Reformatory Is one OF
three institutions often referred to
as 'Lorton" from their location
near Lorton, Va, 20 miles south
of washington on Route !.
One is the women's division,
which has both short and long term
prisoners. Another is the work.
house, often called Occoquan from
it's proximity to the creek Of that
name. The workhouse confines
short-term prisoners, those guilty OF
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, petty
larceny, simple assault, etc.
The largest is the reformatory,
with about 1900 inmates. They
are the felons-some of them con-
victed of murder and serving life.
The reformatory has been held
not to be a prison because it has
no walls. On it's broad acres there
is a bastille with watch towers on
the four corners Of its high brick
parapets. This was built in 1888
but has been largely used for shops
instead of >cell blocks. Only Al
prisoners were confined there last
week. Critics have always insisted
that the term "reformatory' is a
misnomer because of the long-term-
ers and because it had no education
program.
Clemmer Developed idea.
Now one has been started. The
social studies are the idea of Donald
Clemmer, who became directors Of
the Dfstrict department of Correc-
tions after the jail escapes last year
His idea, which began to grow or
him when he was on the prison staf1
at Atlanta, was that it would be {
| good thing for the intelligent pris-
oners to know more about the So
ciety in which they had failed tc
get along.
About 10 per cent of the prison
population is taking the school
courses which began last week. Ele-
mentary reading and writing Is
taught by a colored prisoner. A
shy, hesitant, man (when not teach
ing), he said his greatest difficulty
was with men who had formed habit
patterns with their little knowledge
of reading and writing. It was
easier to teach complete illiterates
IL in Literacy Class.
"Illiteracy can be concealed in
many lines of labor" said Richard
G. Garrison, supervisor of prison
education, who was acting as guide,
''but not in prison. Men want to
be able to read their own mail and
write their own letters"
There were dozen men in this
classroom.
Herman Bailey, a gigantic man
with q cheek scar, In for shooting
another man with a shotgun, will
ingly showed his work. Herman
began learning to write last fall.
(There were classes in the three RS
before the start Of the educational
program last week.
Marriage Course Taught.
In clear schoolboy hand Herman
had written: ION Saturday / went
to the Stores to buy Shoes for
my chiIdren--a bargen Store had a
Sale-things did not cost much at
this store-i got shoes for my little
boy and girl asked the man how
much they cost-he told me- Paid
him and came home"
Forty-two prisoners are taking
elementary reading and writing; At
intermediate reading and writing
equivalent to third grade); IA
mathematics, 81 tipping, Is short
hand and 13 advanced stenography.
When Mr.. Clemmer planned his
social studies, he decided to teach
marriage and the family because
so many prisoners difficulty with
the law stems from marital troubles.
OF the IS men now taking his course,
II are married and the other con-