The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-10-10
GOVERNORS VIEWS
ON THE CONVICTS.
His Message to the Legislature
Made Public Yes
terday,
He FAVORS A PRISON COMMISSION
His Views Partly in Line With Hall Bill.
Road Work Will Not DO-Wants
RefOrmatOry, Too.

Atlanta, Ga, Oct, 9.-The message
which Governor Atkinson has pre-
pared for transmission to the next gen.
eral assembly on the convict question
was made public today. 1t is lengthy
document, and reviews the question
fully.
The message begins with the an
nouncement that all the convict leases
expire on April l, 1899, and that, &C.
cordlngly, 1t 10 necessary to settle the
question quickly.
The following are extracts from the
message:
"Any penal system is fundamentally
wrong and vicious which requires the
state to part with the control of the
convict, and gives him into the cusody
of private parties.
"To say in general terms that the
convicts should be put to work upon
the public highways is an alluring
and captivating suggestion. Yet a
thorough and intelligent study of the
question leads uniformly to the con-
clusion that this should not be done.
"If the responsibility of building,
repairing and establishing local road
ways is to be surrendered by the coun-
ties, and assumed the state, where is
this new danger of state centrallza-
ton to end?
"What is the justice of taxing all
the counties of the state to work the
roads of only part of the counties?
"The migratory life required by
road work would render it impossible
to have the convicts quartered in safe
and comfortable buildings, and in
suitable localities"
The governor having expressed his
dlsapproval of the plan of working the
cOnvIcts on the public roads, then
proceeds to outline the plan that be
would like to see adopted.
He is IN favor of prison commits
sion of three citizens, to have the en-
tire power of locating and preparing
penitentiaries etc.
"The equipment ofthe penitentiary,
under the Appropriation to be made
by this general assembly," says the
governor, "should only be sufficient
to accommodate the boys, women, men
not classed as able-bodied, and such
able-bodied men as may be needed to
successfully carry on the work in
which they may be engaged by the
prison commission. The labor of the
other able bodied convicts should be
hired out for term Of five years."
The message strongly recommends
reformatory for boys under II. The
institution to be made sustaining.
He racomends prison for women
separate from all the others, and un-
der the care of matron, who should
be under the direction of the commits
sion.
Concerning male convicts, the gov
ernor recommends
"All male couvicts not classed as
able bodied, who can be so cared for
there, should be kept in the peniten-
tiary to be prepared prior to the ex-
piration of the lease and placed at
work. Here also should be sent such
abIe-bodied men as we are then pre-
pared to care for, who may be needed
to help carry on successfully the work
in which the secondclass convicts are
engaged. The remainder, which Will
probably approximate 1,S00 men,
should be engaged to work for such
person as might contract for their la
bor with the state, upon such condi-
tions and limitations as you may di-