Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1886-03-19
Prison Labor.

The following article deserves attentive
reading, II enlbodies the convictions Of n
gentleman, who, for many years, has been
identified with Prison Reform
When sentenced TO confinement Ia tho
PsHNeatiafy,it Is understood, tia. as-faf-Ns
the convict IS physically able, he is 10 'be
compelled to hard kibOr Prison ethics 90.
cures him, wholesome sufficient food, com
Portable bedding and protection from cold
He Is to be securely confined, and not TO be
made worse either in mind or body from his
Imprisonment. II is due also the tax payer,
that the convict shall earn by his labor his
proportion Of the expense of the prison.
In some States convicts are leased out for
mining purposes, digging out iron ores, con
struciing railroads, farming service and on
public works. In these grades Of employ
ment they, In the Immediate neighborhood,
largely supplant and interfere, man for man,
with the humblest and most helpless of local
unskilled labor, hence the riots within the
present month in the mining regions of Ken.
lucky.
The system Of gu: prison work, camp labor
as II called, produces mortality offrpm 5
to O per cent annually il affords opp0rtn
mites of escape, and il excuses the, pursuit
OF the fugitives with bloodhounds.
That the convicts ought not TO bc EN-
ploycd outside of the prison is obvious, an
II will not be possible TO work them other
wise without interfering more seriously than
now, with skilled, or unskiiled labor The
latter class OF labor from its very helpless
ness, deserves consideration, and will, If Op
posed by prison labor, suffer far more from
I the cause previously given. An appe, is
therefore made 10 the sober Judgment of the
General Assembly not to Interfere with the
best system yet divised To carry out III
penal laws Of the State. The prison officers
have done their best to avoid conflict with
local skilled labor, and feel assured the H..
suit, rs stated in this paper, cannot be sac
cesslully cuntrvverted.
The Maryland Penitentiary is more Than
self.supporiing It's mortality is but per
cent Less than four hundred of its inmttes
are empluyed, altogether on contracts. Fnly
eighty per cent. OF its manufactured products
are shipped out of the State. Probably near.
ly the entire ttoenty per cent. sold in Balti-
more would otherwise be supplied by iac,o.
ries, or prison shops, OF the New Engianl
or Middle States. Hence, by the selection
OF special industries BY the directors, no
comparative barn results, in their opinion,
to the skilled labor interest of this city or
State.
Not only no harm, but the industries there
give employment and pay the highest wares
for AT least fifty competent emtsloyes hoth
10 and out of the prison, who are citiz ms of
good standing.
The contractors also buy material in this
market 10 the extent of, probably a Quarter
Of n Million OF dollars.
Abolish the various industries now exist
lux in a. Mafymui Penitentiary. much
will be host % ~ city OF Baltimore, 4 large
trade Interest, ahd SlI It's advantages aH,i
the employment ol Number of citizens
The tax payer nuse uen, meet Nh m,
expenses. The Legislature must prnyide
one hundred aud mn lA.ustgtd dollars ior
the coming two years TO IN ena
The Penitentiary Is nov sslrsdstuiuinr.
It's labor intcrteres very slielA,ly witt, local
interest
It's existing system gives einploymeutjto
many citizens OF good repute.