Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-09-17
THE CONvrCrs.
Bill Passed by the Senate-HOw PrIs-
oners Are 80 be Managed.

The following is copy of the important
bill passed by the Senate on Tuesday in
reference to the management Of convicts:
A BILL to be entitled an act to provide for
the better inspection, management and
control of the convicts of this State.
SECTION l. Be 1t enacted by the General
Assembly of this State, That from and after
the passage of this act 1t shall be the duty
of the Governor to appoint to the principal
keeper of the penitentiary of this State an
assistant, whose term Of office shall expire
with that of the principal keeper; said as
sistant, as to his official conduct and respon.
sibility, shall be subject to the same rules
aud regulations of law as the principal
keeper, and shall receive a salary OF $1,000
per annum.
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted by the au-
thority aforesaid, That 1t shall be the duty
of the principal keeper, or said assistant, to
visit, without notice, each convict camp
within this State at least once per month,
and thoroughly examine and inspect said
camps, and the convicts therein confined,
and report, under oath, to the Governor,
immediately after each visit, the condition
of said camps and convicts, and such infor-
nation as he may derive concerning their
diet, treatment, and especially to report any
maltreatment of the convicts that may come
to his knowledge, together with any viola
lations of the law for the government of
the convicts upon the part of the lessees.
And it shall be the duty of the Governor to
cite any lessee, or lessees, so charged
with any abuses, or violations, to
show cause, In the manner provided by law,
why their contracts of lease should not be
cancelled and forfeited, or fine imposed,
aud said convicts returned to the State.
And upon all such hearings it shall be the
duty OF the Attorney General to appear and
represent the interests Of the State. aAnd
the testimony adduced upon any such
hearing shall be reduced to writing, which,
with the final ruling OF the Governor, shall
be filed in the office Of the principal keeper
OF the penitentiary, and shall at all times be
subject to the inspection of any citizen OF
the State. All reports provided In this bill
shall be filed in the Executive Office and
shall at all times be subject to the inspec-
ton Of any citizen of this State.
Sec. 3. That it shall be the duty of the
lessees to appoint In writing at each camp
in this State some discreet and proper per
son in their employ, whose appointment
shall receive the appreciation OF the Gov
ernor, subject at any time to revocation by
him before he shall be authorized to dis
charge the duties of his office, and who
shall stay at such camp, and who alone
shall infict punishment upon any convict in
this State for a violation of the rules pre-
scribed for their government, and any per-
son other than the appOintee provided Tor
In this section, who, after the passage of
this act, shall inflct punishment upon any
convict in this State for a violation Of the
rules prescribed for their government, shall
be guilty OF felony, and on conviction
therefor shall be imprisoned at hard
labor in the penitentiary OF this State
for period of not less than six months nor
exceeding two years. And 1t shall be the
duty of the appointees, provided for in this
section, to make monthly reports under
oath to the Governor, in which they shall
! give the names Of all convicts punished by
them, the date, nature, cause and extent of
such punishment, and shall state the condi-
ton of the convicts at their respective
camps, and the treatment thereof, and shall
in their reports state whether or not they
know of any cruelty to or mistreatment of
any convict in said camp; and If so, what it
was, and by whom and upon whom prac-
ticed, and shall also state the diet at such
camps and the average number of hours in
each day they are required to work.
Sec. t. Be 1t further enacted by the au-
thority aforesaid, That upon the discharge
of any convict, he shall, by the lessee, be
furnished with q suit of citizens clothes,
not to cost less than six dollars, and trans
portation to the county from which he or
she was sentenced.
Sec. 5. Be it further enacted by the au-
thority aforesaid, That all laws and parts of
laws in conflict with this act be, and the
same are hereby repealed.