The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-10-24
Convict Labor.

Convict labor has two distinct aspects, viz:
Economy and reformation. The business
considers the one, the philanthropist the other.
A practical wisdom regards them as inseparabe.
In prison well as elsewhere. sound business
policy makes for the highest interest of the par
ties directly concerned. The champion of re-
form make progress in his cause except
line of sound business principles. We have
been treated to surfeit of one-sided extrava-
gance both sides.
few years ago a manager took charge of
the contractors interests at saltwater. At the
close of brief service he said: when l came
here thought every prisoner had and
listened to them all; now l have not particle of
faith in any that stripes He
had swung rapidly from one extreme to another.
He had faithfully represented two classes nei-
Their of which has practical sense or experience
with prison life The State of Minnesota has new
fully appreciated the amount of good manage
ment that has supported the state prison without
direct heavy taxation. The chief fault found
with the contract system has been on the side of
economy. The value to the convict of the sys-
tenn of work carried on at saltwater by the coz
tractors for many Years has been uniformly
derestimated, when compared with systems in
other prisons. The work offers en- plOyment to
men Of almost every one of the principal occupa-
tions that engage outside. This is the
sential and prime condition of reform. man at
work at a business that he knows wants to
learn; has necessary condition of hope. without
which it is impossible for to preserve his
health retain in any respect that frame of mind
necessary to his welfare. Labor of some kind is
indispensable to health and mind to man
in prison. Labor suited to a mans taste and
pability is more than half the requisite condition
for his reform.
The blind hostility to convict labor has
ceeded in abolshing the contract system and left,
what? Nothing. And what is the effect both as
TO business and reform? The state is rectly los
ing a hundred and fifty or two hundred dollars
day. 1t is indirectly losing all that be lost by
the best possible training of idiots. and lunatics
and criminals. 1t may be my for the state
to take well, sound man at work pay ing his board
stop the work tax people directly to support him,
deal with him that his mind gives way or he
goes out hardened, revengeful. deepened in crime,
pay enormous taxes to take of him in
asylum or to employ officers to catch him. keep
him in Jail give him trial costing hundreds
thousands of money-this may be economy but it
is a strange bookkeeping that can figure it out
AS to the reform humane side the very state
uIeHl SHOWS tlldl 10 Simply
And all this is brought about by the persistent
bunders of men acting from prejudice alone and
who knew little nothing of prison management.
If this is Il movement in the direction of state
management or piecework the road to better
system is a long and one Of enormous expense.
And this attained, exactly the same condition
sought to be avoided III the beginning that of a
vodng competition with honest labor is before
US, problem entirely unsoved.
Other states have shown that when state does
its own manufacturing and selling the work is
quite as likely to come in contact with honest
labor as is contract labor for the obvious reason
that state sells its goods at slaughter prices.
and has not the personal pride and sense OF COM
pet. ton that Influences business firm. To-day
our state prison is full of restless. suffering
army of men logging for work. The labor reform
ers are paying taxes to b., ard them while they
are in training to come out ten fold more hostile
and dangerous than they went in. Meanwhile
the Warden and Deputy doing all possible to
content the men, giving them relays Of work to
keep heir health p.-Nnpetonka Mirror