The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-02-15
THE PRISON AT TRENTON.
An INTELLIGENT DISCOURSE AB0Uz
CONVICT LABOR.
X seper Laverty's Views ON the Different
Methods OF Empioying Convicts-
Facts About the Prisons.


Facts About the Prisons.
TRENTON, Feb. A. : 'sBy far the most
important matter desire to bring to the
notice of your Excellency" says Keeper Of
the State Prison in his annual report tc
Governor Albeit, s'is one that is not only
closely allied with the future management
of this institution, but is now agitating the
people of this and other States, and occupy
country. Irefer to the question of con vic
labor. While it is not my intention to go
unto a lengthy discussion of the questions
involved, nor yet make any recommends
tions on the subject, / d sem it my duty to
express to your Excellency my views as to
the result consequent upon the act of the
Legislature abolishing contract labor in the
New Jersey State Prison. In SO doing
fully appreciate the weight of the respon-
sibility am mourning, and the adverse
criticisms I will doubtless subject myself to
in certain quarters. But my duty to the
people of this State, TO the convicts in my
keeping, and the promptings of humanity
in their behalf as well as a regard for
public policy, impel me to set aside all per-
-sonal and political considerations i'll the
attempt to unrayel problem so vital to
the future conduct of this institution and
of SO much importance to the people.
Having spent the major portion of my life
among those who toll for their daily bread,
I fully recognize the justice of their de-
mand, shat convict labor should not be
allowed to come in comp stition with theirs :
and sincerely hope that in the near fu-
ture such laws will be enacted as to ac-
,complish that purpose without, on the
other hand, making invalid the law which
.ordains that every convict shall be held to
hard labor, working positive injury to the
people of this State; or, that which con-
Germs me most, making this institution a
cage for nine hundred or thousand un-
employed people, large percentage Of
whom will be driven to a mad-house or an
early grave. by the idleness cruelty forced
upon them.
81 need not call the attention of your Ex-
cellency to the fact that the law makes it
incumbent upon the judges to add the
hard labor clause to every State Prison
sentence imposed. That law is still in
force, not having been repealed by any of
the recent acts relating to convict labor.
In order to carry out that law | must have
employment for these convicts, and it is
highly improbable that any law will ever
be on the statute books making any and all
convict labor unlawful. Such action
would not only burden the taxpayers with
an annual outlay of about $3.50, 900 for the
support of these convicts IN ldleness, but
it would be cruel and inhuman IN the ex-
treme to enforce such penalty upon them.
Only those acquainted with prison man
agement, and who have time and again
heard the piteous appeals of conyicts de-
prived of work to be restored to the same,
can form some idea of the terror OF the
punishment inflicted by the State upon its
convicts in keeping them confined to their
cells in idleness, and how the maintenance
of discipline and the enforcement OF the
rules fer health and cleanliness are made
almost impossible under such state of
affairs.
ssBut your Excellency will doubtless OBJ
serve that convict labor has not been abol-
ished by the Legislature, aud that only the
contracting out of such labor has been pro-
hibited. True. Yet I am Of the opinion
that it would be very hazardous expert
ment to work the convict after the expira-
ton of the contract on the LIST of July
next, under the now existing laws, and un-
less the Legislature very materially ADDS
TO the same, and in much more explicit
and comprehensive manner ordalns what
shall be done, by whom, and fixes the
limit of the money allowed to be expended,
/ very much fear that idleness IN tins IN
stltution will be the result.
sat the expiration CT the present contracts
we will only be allowed to pursue one of
two courses. that is, adopt either the pub
lie account or the -piece-price system
Yet both appear to me impracticable unless
improved or perfected by additional legls-
lation. The public account system would
entail an Immediate and an immense out
lay on the part of the State, and would be
extremely demoralizing in its tendencies.
The system has been tried, with disastrous
results, in other States. Under this plan,
the State becomes manufacturer, and in
stead 81 selling only the labor of the con-
victs, as under the contract system, the
State also puts in the capital required, and
thus enters into double competition with
free labor. It is a well-established fact
that State cannot work as advantageous
ly as a private firm or corporation, and
would therefore have to dispose OF its
goods at a great sacrifice. The adoption OF
that system would make it necessary to
purchase large quantities of machinery
1for it should be remembered that we are
not allowed to work more than one hum
NN~-N>~
ing of additional shops, the employment of
purchasing agents, statesmen, book-keepers,
foreman and Instructors; in short, the
State would have to conduct six or seven
factories, in each of which one hundred
men are employed, and for the business
conduct of which n any additional off1ces
will have to have to be created. To con-
duct these various factories. large
amount Of money would have to be drawn
out of the public treasury, each month,
with no likelihood of full return being
made by the sale of the goods. In conclu-
sion, it should also be remembered that, IN
the event of the adoption of the public &C
count system, it would take many mouths
after the completion Of our present con-
tracts, to put the same into force and the
consequent idlel ess of all our convicts.
As to the second, the piece-price plan,
the objections are not SO numerous, YET
they are of sufficient force to make It's
adoption by the State very doubtful and
expensive experiment. First of all, the
hardships entailed by convict upon free la
Dor are not at all alleviated by the adoption
of this latter system. To be candid, it is 9
distinction without difference. Were II
to be put in force the contractors would
still control the work of the convicts, tht
only difference being that, instead Of pay.
ing the State a given price per day for thu
labor of each convict employed. so much
piece, dozen, or q gross would be paie
for the article manufactured in the institu
ton. II stands to reason that the pric'
would have to be fixed far below that pait
to free labor for the same kind OF work, a.
otherwise manufacturers would not suomi
to the annoyance of doing their work I'M
der the guidance and rules OF the Ssas'
Prison authorities. And assuredly thes'
contractors would arrange their prices II
keepinp with the figures paid for the 1abo