The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1891-09-11

Une gOou DenaVlOr OF Ine criminal.
An incentive for effort at self
improvement is at once given the
criminal, the prison discipline is
placed upon a better basis, and
more satisfactory classification of
prisoners can be made.
This principle has been engraft-
ed upon the codes of New York,
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Min
nesota, and Kansas. It's practical
working is well-illustrated in the
famous reformatory at Elmira, N.
Y. [ give this suggestion in antic-
ipation of the fact that if the State
builds a new penitentiary it should
endeavor to inaugurate the best
prison system Of discipline, as well
as of labor.
(2) The recent labor trouble at
Briceville and Coal Greek has SO
emphasized the great need of the
State for a new penitentiary that l
presume it will be your judgement
to take immediate steps toward pre-
pairing for its erection. AS the sys-
tenn of labor by which convicts can
best be employed is such an import
ant subject and should be SO care
fully considered before location
is selected for a prison, | have made
some investigation into the prison
systems Of other States. The re-
suit shows that all have trouble in
the solution Of this problem, and
few have as yet reached satisfactory
results. Only six States report
good management, and only two
Kansas and Vermont-report sat-
isfactory results iii so managing the
convict labor as not to cause reduc-
ton in the wages of free labor, in
sales Of goods, or in products of
work done.
All those who have given any
thought to prison management
agree that work of some kind is alb
solutely essential to the well-being
of eprisonerphys ically, mentally,
and morally. The National Prison
Association passed a resolution at a
meeting in Boston that
Productive labor in prisons is an in
dispensable factor in the work of prison
reform, and any scheme which has q
tendency, direct, or indirect, to promote
or permit the idleness or unproductive
labor of prisoners will infict irreparable
injury upon the prisoner, the working,
man, and the State.
So that, while reformation and moi
revenue should be the main object
of aprison system, labor is one of the
} best reformatory agents, and is in,
dispensable thereto; and it is but
justice to all that this labor be pro.
ductive and be turned to the self.
! maintenance of the prison, thereby
relieving the taxpayers of a por
/ ton of the financial burden of crime
The great problem, then, is: How
} is it possible to give convicts pro
ductive labor that will not compete
, with free labor? for if a convict bu
l drives a nail or bores a hole he pre-
: vents some other man from per
: forming that work. 1t being i'm
: possible wholly to eliminate THU
| competition, the practical thing t.
/ do is to endeavor to reduce it to thu
l minimum.
: The United States commissions
2 of labor shows through his repor
l on convict labor that there are fou
systems of convict labor in opera
ton in the United States the pub
: lie account system, the contract sys
S tenn, the piece-price system, and tn,
. lease system. OF these systems th'
i contract system is the most preva
}. lent in the United States at pres
ent. Under this more convicts ar
e employed and more goods manu-
!, featured than under any other
f Under this the State makes con
n tract with the highest bidder 70
Y the employment Of its convicts at
Y certain price per day, the convict
{ usually being employed within tn
e walls of the prison. The advant
{ ages of this system are a. the con
s slant employment given to the cor
e victs; (2) good returns to the Stat
II treasury, the income under it cor
= shutting 65 per cent. of the run
; ming expenses; (3) the avoidanc
}; of business risk on the part of tn
n State.
e The disadvantages are that con
; petition in prices between the col
"a vict-made goods and GOODS made h