Evening star., 1952-11-18
.Sobe|off Board
Urges Fu||-Tin1e
Paro|eAgency
McKeIdin Agreeable
To Toking Authority
Away From Governor
BY the Associated Press

BY the Assoeioted Press
BALTIMORE, Nov. 18.-The
Sobeloff Commission recommended
Today that the responsibility for
oaroling convicts from Maryland
prisons should be taken away from
the Governor and given to a full
time board.
The commission also recon-
mended changes in the adminis-
trative organization of the De-
partment of Correction, which
runs the States penal institutions,
and then launched into familiar
list of faults it found in the pres
ent penitentiary system.
The report on administration Of
corrections and parole was the
tenth in series by the Commits
sion on Administrative Organiza-
ton of the State, known as the
Sobeloff Commission for its char
man, Simon E. Sobeloff, Baltimore
attorney and adviser to Gov. Nc
Keldin.
Three-Man Board Suggested.
The agency suggested by the
commission as a proper one for
administering paroles would be a
Board of Parole and Probation.
consisting of a director and two
associates. "all of whom should
devote full time to the task and
be adequately compensated there
for"
Under present law, only the
Governor can grant parole, al
though he acts on recommends
ton of the present director of pa
role and probation. However, the
prisoner must 60 through the in
stitution stats and the Board of
Correction before his case comes
before the parole director.
The report quoted Gov. Nc
Keldin as agreeing that the parole
process should be put into the
hands of board lin the interest
Of good administration and JUS
tice."
The commission called the in
creased use of parole and proba-
ton question of first Importance
IN relieving overcrowded condi-
lions in State institutions. 1t said:
ITO release prisoner on parole
appears to some persons as cod
ding It is forgotten that in al
most every case the prisoner will
return to the public. If he re-
turns at the expiration of term.
he impinges on the public without
supervision. Under parole he is
supervised.
Would Continue Present Board.
In its recommendation on the
Department of Correction, the
commission said the present
Board of Correction should be
continued as a policy-making
body, but that administrative du-
ties should be taken over by a
superintendent of prisons ap-
pointed by the Governor with the
of the board.
The list of criticisms of the
present system included:
The mixing of young and old.
harmless and vicious. first offen-
ders and habitual criminals.
Overcrowding-1. 800 inmates in
the old penitentiary in Baltimore.
which has rated capacity Of
1850: 1000 men in the House Of
Correction at Jessups. in space
planned for 1.150; periodic over
crowding at the Reformatory for
Males at Breathedsville and the
Reformatory for Women at Jes-
sups.
The report noted, however, that
the overcrowding will be relieved
somewhat by new construction.
New Prison Declared Needed.
The report said a new institu-
ton to replace the present peni-
tentiary would be clearly desir-
able" but said that. in view Of
the cost. construction should be
deferred. although certain capi-
tai improvements are needed at
the penitentiary.
The report also criticized the
method of feeding at the institu-
tions, and recommended cafeteria
style meals; idleness among in
mates; lack of education and rec
reational facilities; inadequate
medical and pSychiatric care; un-
trained personnel; too little use Of
parole; inadequate preparation for
and supervision of releases.
The commission took some of
the sting out of its criticism, how
ever, by saying that the weak
nesses of the Maryland corrective
system are not unique. Nor
is this commission unmindful Of
the many progressive procedures