St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-12
PRISON LABOR.
Representative Reyes Introduces
an Important Bill on That Sub

y
tween the state account and contract
systems:
"A bill for an act to provide for and
regulate the employment of convicts in
the state prison at Saltwater, and to re-
peal chapter one hundred and ninety
seven $50 of the General Laws of one
thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty
seven QSSO. 1t shall be the duty of
the court in which any person shall be
convicted OF any Offense punishable in
the state prison, before passing the
sentence, to ascertain by the eXamina-
ton Of such convict on oath, and in
addition to such oath by such other evil
dence as can be obtained, the business,
II any, in which such convict had been
engaged prior to such arrest and con-
viction; whether such convict had
learned and practiced any mechanical
trade, and if so the nature of such
trade and length of time the same
had been followed, and the clerk of
the court shall enter the facts as ascer-
tanned and decided by the court on the
minutes thereof, and shall deliver
certificate fully stating the facts so as
certained to the sheriff of the county,
who shall cause the same to be deliy-
cred to the warden of the state prison at
the same time that such convict is COM
mitted to said warden pursuant to his
sentence. Every person convicted of
crime and committed to the state prison
shall be regularly employed at and be
compelled to perform a reasonable
amount of hard labor in some industrial
employment: and no person so commit
ted shall be exempt from such labor
unless on account of incapacitating sick
ness or other disability rendering it i'm
possible that such labor be performed.
The emplOymentS of convicts III the
state prison shall in all respects be gov
erned by the provisions of this chapter,
and shall be conducted as specified in
the succeeding sections hereof. Sub
Ject to the qualifications and regulations
in this chapter specified, the managers
shall be empowered and required 10
provide for the employment of such
cOnvicts in one or both of two different
systems of employment. One system
usually known as and to be designated
the Estate account system,'' and the
other usually known as and to be des-
lgnated as the contract SYSTEM" In
providing for. and regulating the labor
OF the convicts under these systems of
employment, the warden shall, i'm class-
flying and apportioning the prisoners
to the work, in ali cases have
iii view as well the education and ref
Va vi tilS cGIlficI DIS
the pecuniary welfare of the state, and
shall, by and with the advice and ap-
prevail OF the board of managers, have
authority to change any convict from
one class Of employment to another, as
may seem proper and eXpedient. All
or portion of the prison shops, and
such vacant grounds as the board of
managers deem proper, and which are
not needed to carry on industrial en-
plOyment under the state account sys-
tenn, may be leased by the board of
managers to parties from whom such
board obtains the highest and best
price, and for such length of time, not
to exceed three 81 years, as the board
may deem for the Interests of the state.
The managers may, if in their Judgment
they deem it proper and eXpedient, let
to service not to exceed One-half % of
all able-bodied convicts confined in the
prison to the lessee or leSSeeS of the
prison shops or to any person or corpo-
ration-Sueh lease to be made i'm ac-
cOrdance with the law On the subject of
prisons, including this chapter. and not
to exceed the term of three 90 years.
Such cOnvictS shall not be leased to any
contractor or lessee for less than the
sum of so cents per day for actual work;
provided, that such lease shall not be
lease of individual convicts for any
specified time, SO as to preclude the
withdrawal of any convict and the sub
stltution in his place of another when
deemed for the best interests of the con-
vict 10y the warden or board of managers.
Whenever the board of managers shall
deem it eXpedient and proper to enter
into contract to lease the prison shops
or any portion thereof, or the prison
grounds or any portion thereof, to any
Y
to rent the same and employ cOnvictS
therein, it shall be the duty of SAID
board to pass a resolution to that effect.
specifying the number of cOnyictS
whose labor and services are to be let,
the time the contract shall commence
and the length of time it shall continue,
together with the ship room, yard
room, machinery ard other facilities
which are to be let. Upon the passage
OF such resolution the board of mana
gers shall cause the same, together with
a call for sealed bids or proposals,
to be published in newspaper printed
and published in the county where the
prison is situated, and also in a news
paper printed and published at the state
capital, for period of three 81 weeks
next preceding the time fixed in such
notice for opening such proposal. The
warden shall receive and preserve, I'M
opened, all the sealed proposals for the
said leasing of said shops. grounds,
labor and services, which shall be de-
liyered to OF received 10y him up to the
day and hour mentioned in the public
notice, and no longer, and shall there
upon, or as soon thereafter as the board
of managers shall convene, lay such
proposals before the board of managers.
who shall proceed publicly at once to
open and canvass such of them as
shall be substantially in the form
prescribed in the published notice.
No bids shall be entertained which shall
be for less than fifty {50) cents per day
per convict for work to be performed by
the convict. The managers shall there
upon cause written contract to be
properly executed in duplicate, and the
person or corporation to whom the con-
tract is awarded shall execute to the
board OF managers a good and sufficient
bond With two or more SuretieS to be
approved by the board, conditioned for
the full performance of the contract on
the part OF such person or corporation,
which bond shall be delivered to the
board of managers, and thereupOn the
said contract shall be valid in law be-
tween the parties thereto. And the
said board of managers shall have power
to enforce the same. Bids may be
rejected, and the board may readvertise.
In every contract made pursuant to the
authority herein conferred, there shall
be reserved to the board of managers
and to the warden. full power and au-
tnority to prevent the demanding or inn
position of unusual or severe labor,
whereby the health or safety of the con-
victs may be impaired, or their reform
alton and education be numbered and
retarded, and the said warden may,