The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-10-28

information which would enable it to take
the proper action. lie was not able q
complete this work before the convenir
OF the general assembly, but believin;
that the information already gathere
was sufficient to show the necessity foe
legislation. and to induce the application
of the needed remedy, discontinued thA
inspection and placed before the general
assembly the report of Mr.. Wright upol
his work done up to that time.
This very able report by Mr.. Wright
will be placed before you and to it invite
your attention.
During this year had reason to believe
that abuses still existed in the manage.
ment of this class of convicts and that
the publicity given, by the discussion If
the Wright report, to the illegality of hir'
ing them to private parties had not cor
rected the evil, l employed Hon. p. &.
Byrd of Floyd county, to locate and in
spect all camps where mtsdemeanor co:l'
victs were worked, and make report
thereon. His clear and comprehensive ro-
port has been printed, and will be placed
before you.
The facts stated in these two reports
leave no room for doubt that Legislation is
needed to properly regulate the care and
treatment of this class of convicts, which
now number more than 1900. After lear l.
| ing from this report that 637 of these con-
victs were held and worked by private
parties, who had secured them from tie
| county authorities in violation of law,
communicated the facts TO the JUDGES and
solicitors, from whose courts they were
SENTENCED. Upon receipt Of this inform v
ton, these officers acted with common l.
| able promptness, and took steps to have
the convicts worked in compliance with
law and the sentence of the court. This
reform has already greatly increased the
forces at work on the public roads, aud
will be of incalculable value in promoting
the improvement of our highways
Now, while we are providing for the dis
position of our pententiary convicts, it is
best that we also supply the legislation
needed to properly regulate and direct the
management of county chaingangs.
THE PENITENTIARY.
The general assembly, at It's present seq
| sion is confronted with the duty of pro.
viding for the disposition of the inmat q
of our penitentiary after April l, 1899, vt
which time the existing lease will expire.
This will be but three months after thu
adjournment of the general assembly,
which will convene In October, 1904
Should action be delayed until the sessi0A
of 1893, we would find the state utter Y
unable to make adequate arrangements %
either hire or work it's convicts before the
! expiration of the lease, and IL forced to
have others employ them we would, in
their disposal. be entirely at the mercy Of
| the present lessees, who alone would Da
prepared to house or give employment 20
| them.
At the very threshold of this discussion.
the proposition should be accepted by AN
that the law consigns men to the penite y
| tiary not to become petted children of t,le
state, but to punish them for wrongdoin :.
The system which will meet all the IS
quirements of this statement. with lei IL
expense to the lawabiding citizens of the
state, and come least in competition with
free labor is the one to be adopted
Any penal system is fundamentally
wrong and vicious which requires the
state to part with the control of the con-
vict, and gives him into the custody Of
private parties
| ON PUBLIC ROADS.
To say in general terms that the convicbs
should be put to work upon the pub 10
highways is an alluring and captivating
suggestion. Yet thorough and INTEL I.
gent study of the question leads uli-
formly to the conclusion that this should
not be done.
THE SYSTEM PROPOSED.
Every person sentenced by the courts 70
penal servitude should remain in the GUS.
tody and control of the state, and oVIa
obedience to none but officers of the sta 9.
The entire power, subject to legislative
restriction and direction, to locate and
prepare a penitentiary. build and equ p
the necessary prisons, hospitals and other
tracts for, the employment of convic;s,
and appoint all needed officers and EN-
| ployes, should be vested in three citizens
to be known as the prison commission.
| This commission should be appointed i'm
mediately upon the passage of the act, ard
at once proceed to select and purchase tie
land necessary to conduct the work of TIVE
penitentiary.
The plan which advocate contemplates
and is capable of growing into a system in
which the state maintains upon it's own
premises all convicts.
If in future the system, to which l look
forward, be completed, and all convicts
| cared for upon the states own premises
it must be gradual growth. We should
advance in this direction only IS it be-
comes evident that they can be so e7n-
| ployed in the central penitentiary as to
make their labor profitable They should
not be taken from remunerate employ
ment outside of the penitentiary, wht re
they are humanely cared for, and placed at
unremunerative work in a penitentia"y,
| where they are to become burden UPON
the taxpayers.
| REFORMATORY FOR BOYS.
| The department establis shed for the care
of boys should be known as the state re-.
| formatory
| Here should be received all boys con-
victed of felony, under the age of II, whom
| the judges in their discretion may sentence
I
I to these it should receive all boys under
age OF II convicted of msdemeanors. when
so convicted by the court, upon receipt
from the county where convicted of such
sum as will in the judgment of the prison
commission cover the cost to the state, II
any, of keeping them. The female con-
victs under II years of age should be
placed in the woman's department and
given the same advantages and sur.
rounded by the same influences as boys in
the reformatory.
| In considering this phase of the ques-
ton, [ have not undervalued the social
aud economic advantages to be derived
from improved public highways.
| The roads within the respective colln-
ties are of local interest, and can be bet Ter
and more economically attended to by
county authorities Being matter of local
interest, and one which local authoril les
can attend to with greater economy and
efficiency, l am unalterably opposed to SO
extending the power and duty of the state
as to have these roads worked by state
authorities and at state expense.
All male convicts not classed as able.
| bodied, who can be cared for there, should
be kept in the penitentiary to be prepared
prior to the expiration of the lease, and
placed at work. Here also should be sent