Show ti Mrs Mis Logans Logan's s Washington Letter S n BY Y UTIS JOHN J A. A LOCAN S Tho citizens of Washington a are indebted In Indebted In- In debt cd to Mr l Robert flobert N N. Harper for tor calling attention to lo the unwise e. e Inhumane inS inhumane In Inhumane In- In humane and extravagant way wa waIn in which S criminals accused and convicted con are arc areS I S S handled in the capital cSt city 5 S In tho the first place It Is absurd that the District of ot Columbia should hould not notS S. S S have had a penitentiary as well as a aS I IJ J Jail long ago o or that prisoners who who S. S S.'S S 'S S have havo committed crimes punishable byS by S Incarceration In a penitentiary should e II e in t ome institution in a neighboring neighboring neigh neigh- boring state At present tho the governS government govern govern- S mont ment nus a u contract with West Vest VirginIa Virginia Vir Vir- 1 ginia at lounds whither all con criminals are arc taken at ut an nn expense expense expense ex ex- ex- ex pense that could easily bo be avoided a if I greater wisdom was exercised I S The Tho penitentiary having the tho contract for the keep of or these prisoners has hns also alsoS S the privilege of or contracting for tOT their labor which has been profitable In tho the past Men len and women capable of or Intelligent efficient and splendid work 1 S are arc often oCten long long- term convicts for some ome someS S crime thA they have committed Why h I should not the District of Columbia S profit by tho the labor of this class The TheS dullard Is obliged to work Inthe Inthe In Inthe S the penitentiary and there then Is no iea rca son wh why the tho District t should hould not have havea havet 5 t a 0 penitentiary penitential equipped with aU al the I S modern appliances for extracting the theS S S best possible that there is In every cry prisoner A And nd In return do the best S that could be done for Cot the reformation reformation reforma reforma- tion of or the unfortunate creatures who S are denizens of such Institutions Few Fow people In this country countr know of the actual conditions existing In itt the theS S District of or Columbia and that notS notwithstanding notwithstanding not not- withstanding the appropriations S that have been made from time lime to lo toS S time lime for buildings 8 and tho the running expenses ex ex- ex- ex S pense of the tho Jail tho lie present structure structureS S 1 Is wholly inadequate and absolutely 5 without modern modem plumbing and necessary I sary ron sanitary accommodation There Is no means of ot separating the accused and the convicted or the old and young oung of offender render 1 Vard Warden n Harris a a. man of long experience ex ex- claims tho the Jail was intended ed for tor about OO whereas ens with the multiplied mul mul- population and rapid Increase of or criminate they are now housing about double that number After each I Judgment Day and the arrival of tho the Black Maria at the th Jail tho Jailer has no alternative but to distribute ho it being I the tho prisoners the cst bust can at III all times necessary to put two and 1 three In a n cell It Is quite impossible l l f sort the I under such conditions to wheat from front the tares I Hence accused and first offenders are often orten put with convicted I who are Invariably delighted to prey pry upon novices who are aro hurtfully hurtfully hurt- hurt I fully Impressed b by association with the hardened who are usually voluble voluble voluble volu volu- ble and anti like liko to tell of or their exploits and wonderful smartness In evading arrests and dodging authorities In Invariably Invariably invariably In- In variably claiming claiming- that once a person has been in prison there is no use to try to get g-et rid of or the tho stigma quoting often orten times the old adage e Give a dog a bad name and you yon might a aw awell w well J hang him that there thoro was no getting gellIng away awny from the thC first commitment commitment commitment commit commit- ment and many other like discouraging ing arguments to lo keep young prisoners prison prison- ers from trying to reform It has ha been said sala by men of long experience that twenty four hours' hours contact with the tho habitual criminal Is sufficient to ruin the young youn and first fir offender i Of or what t use Is tho the establishment of I houses of detention which has b been En done through the tue police of ot this city In order that t tho the Juvenile and first offender offender of of- fender may be kept from the tw contaminating con con- laminating Influences which follow rollow confinement with the hardened cn classes class class- es If the moment they are b sent nt to lo the Jail they are mated cell-mated with one or more of the very class from which they have been shielded In the tho house or of detention I It Is ts the duty of or the district commil committees com corn mil tees In a congress to look Into thin matter and e secure the passage of or such laws and appropriations tion as will give gh to tho the District of Columbia date up-to-date facilities for handling th the cl criminal class properly There Is no reason reason wh why hy methods that arc are obsolete should be continued at the capital of or a great at nation like hike ours Or that we should be so 80 active and anel generous in our care and anti pra l foi toi other othEn races race and so blind to th of the unfortunate In our OUI midst What is needed Is ib that without dr dolay do- do lay Jay a tract of land should be secured extensive enough to provide to have hae a n. farm In connection with the tue penitentiary y and Jail Build a penitentiary and a a. Jail on tho the land Build DUlle thorn them on plans for tho the future and antI not barel barely for the tho present present pres pres- ent and amI have them so divided that male malt and female prisoners can bo be classified so IW that thero there mL may bo be some ome chance of or reformation of ot time tho less leR hardened b by keeping keel them separated from the hOfele hopelessly b confirmed crimi nals Furnish agricultural and nil all kinds of or opportunities for forthe forthe or orth th the steady teady employment of or all an able able- bodied prisoners and at nt the same samo time provide hours and means for tor recreation recreation tion and education for tor them I and thereby fill up their time so completely complete completo- ly Iy that they can cnn have no chance to demoralize each other concoct conI conspiracies con con- I piracies and schemes for tor mischief or vengeance There has been so much attention given to prison reform In the last decade that there ther Is much macli less in the time treatment of convicts than formerly forr for for- merly Humanitarians have ha r pushed wonders wonder along that line without without with with- out Interfering with tho the discipline of or penal In institutions Thousands have havo m been saved sa for better lives simply y through wl wise e and Just treatment during durIn during dur dur- In ing their Incarceration as prisoners There Thero are so many fields whore where their labor can be turned to most profitable account for tor the state which hns has been put to so much expense on account of of their crimes that It seems Just and good financial management to derive as much revenue as po possible out of or their services According to the reports of or the authorities as to the tho present extravagant extravagant extravagant gant ant methods it would bo a n. matter of economy for tor the tho government to In Insist Insist Insist In- In upon there being a n. modern penitentiary pent peni and Jail located some distance east caRt or southeast from rom tho the present location of the Jail where mol mor land could be bo secured cheaply and anti sell the present property for Indu Industrial purposes pur pur- poses The poor people who bought hought their homes In the s section where the Jail was nB subsequently located have been obliged to keep them as no one ono would live near a a. Jail if IC they could do otherwise and these people are obliged to endure aU ai the lie unpleasantness of proximity to a a. thing so objectionable as a Jail and Its accessories The probabilities are that if Judiciously managed the present property could be sold for a sum stun that would go o far toward liquidating th the expense In Incurred Incurred Incurred In- In In buying the 1 land nd and buildIng building building build build- ing a twentieth century penitentiary penitential and Jail jalI that would be some credit to the tho District of Columbia the seat of tho government Much 1 uch has been done to make malte Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington one of the most beautiful cities In the world antI and It Is a sad ad com commentary men men- I tary that the all alt Important work of and for Cor her punishing punishing- caring morally morall diseased citizens has been wholly neglected neg neg- and tho the conditions surrounding them are exactly what they were a quarter q or more of a n century ago Render flender unto Caesar that which is Cae Caesars ars Is a tI Biblical edict and isas is la laas as ns obligatory tory now as when It IL was promulgated centuries past Major S Sylvester ester one of ot the ablest ables chiefs of police pollee In th the limO United States says truly Crime was Is and al always always al- al ways will be and It will follow In Increase Increase Increase In- In crease in population and advance with prosperity In the these e progressive ive If Ir no not extravagant extra times as did excesses anc and dissipations In the period of or ancIent Rome nome unless tho the preventive detective and penalizing measures are arc modern to meet conditions Washington has recently received a severe excoriation lion from rom Ex- Ex Mayor Ex-Mayor M l of ot Des DeB Moines Iowa on on account o of the condition of th the streets and sidewalks It Is difficult to ImagIne imagine im Im- im- im agine what he might have said Mid had he visIted the District Jail lIe He would have e assuredly added the jail to his list of oC if things s to be he condemned In this city of the tho greatest possibilities and worst results of any city he had ever vi visited at ted If all enterprising and law abiding citizens cithens will exert ert themselves in bring log ing the thc these e c all Important matters before congress It goes without saying that congress would be bo willing to tn appropriate ate ate the money to enable mable the District of Columbia to keep abreast with modern modern mod mod- ern ermi humane methods in the handling handling- of undesirable citizens who violate the law and must be controlled and supported supported sup sup- ported at 1 public expense What is done must be done dono quickly or the re results results re- re suits of ot present methods will produce such a crop of criminals that it willbe will willbe willbe be Impossible to restrain or better belter them MRS IRS JOHN A. A LOGAN |