Evening star., 1900-04-25
LABOR OF CONVICTS
How the States Should Employ Their
Prisoners.
INDUSTRIAL COMMISSIONS REPORT
Uniform Laws Needed Throughout
the Country.
SOME DISSENTING OPINIONS

SOME DISSENTING OPINIONS
The industrial commission has made a
| report to Congress on the subject Of con-
| vict labor. making recommendations for
| handling the products Of such labor and
the manner in which prison labor should be
| employed in order to do the least possible
| injury to workingmen who are producing
similar things. In conducting this inves-
| tigation, the report says, the commission
| has confined its efforts to presentation of
| the industrial and economic phase Of the
| subject, and has not considered the differ
| ent methods of conducting the institutions,
such as the congregate or the separate con-
| fnement systems physical and hygienic re-
| lations. discipline and instruction, paroling
the prisoners on good behavior, or the in
| definite sentence plan. While these fea-
| lures are essential to a comprehensive dis
| cussion of the subject they do not bear di-
| rectly upon the primary object for which
| the commission was appointed.
| The report and recommendations of the
| commission follow:
| The Industrial commission established by
| act Of Congress of June IS, 1898, have the
| honor to submit this report of the results
4 of our Investigations into the employment
| of the inmates of the penal, reformatory
and eleemosynary institutions of the differ
| ent states and territories. and the compe-
| tition of such labor with free labor
| The investigation of the employment of
| the prison population has extended into all
| of the states and territories. The systems
under which prisoners employed and
| the conditions of such employment prevail
ing in each state are presented with recon-
mendationS for such changes as are con-
| sidered necessary to improve the conditions
and lessen the competition with free labor
The opinions and recommendations of the
various committees, commissions, bureaus
and specialists who have Investigated and
reported the subject of prison labor
have been consulted and their conclusions
in regard to the desirable and undesira BILE
features of the different systems of en-
ployment are presented.
From these sources the commission draws
certain conclusions. In addition, testimony
taken before this commission, and which
Will mainly appear In forthcoming vol
ume manufactures and general busi-
ness sustains the suggestions for legisla-
ton herein made.
Uniform Legislation in States.
It is apparent that the industrial phase
| of the convict labor problem can be regu-
lated to the satisfaction of all sections of
| the country only by uniform legislation on
| the part of the states The question is one
of national interest, though partly beyond
national jurisdiction.
In any report on prison labor 1t is of the
first Importance to outline plan that will,
If embodied in the law. enable the prison
authorities so to administer the affairs Of
the institutions that the grievances now ex-
isting and complained of may be removed,
and system established which will make
the prisons punitive and reformatory, and
as nearly se!f-sustaining may be without
materially infringing upon the rights of
free labor or invested capital.
Various schemes have been tried by the
states, working independently, to lessen the
pry rPo lab
and industry. such as the prohibition of the
employment of convicts; prohibition of the
sale of convict made goods marking of
convict made goods; substitution Of indus
tries not carried on in the state; prohibit
ing the sale of convict made goods outside
the state where manufactured; fixing the
price for which convict made goods may
be sold in the market reduction of hours
of labor In prison. the expectation of con-
vict made goods; diversfication of indus
tries carried In prisons; payment of
wages to convicts; prohibition of any con-
tract for convict labor at lower rates per
day that the average paid for outside labor
of the same kind; employment of convicts
upon public improvements that are des!ra-
BILE, but of such a character that they
would not have been undertaken with the
use of free labor.
Competition with Free Labor.
That the competition with free labor ex-
lists and has been and can be made severe
by the use of methods now in vogue is
clearly shown by the evidence presented
herewith. This is sufficient reason for a
change in those methods and the adoption,
SO far practicable, of uniform system
whereby the employment of convicts in one
state cannot act detrimental1y on the in
dustrial interests of that or any other state.
In describing the various systems of en-
ployinS convicts the commission has pre-
sented the principal advantages and disad-
vantages of each. 1t remains to be deter
mined which Of these systems tends best
| to the reformation of the prisoner and the
reduction Of the competition of his labor
with free labor.
Every interest of society and considera-
| tion Of discipline, economy. reformation
and health demands that prisoners should
l be kept employed at productive work. Man
ufacturers, wage-earners. and all who have
given the subject any consideration
practically unanimous in this conclusion.
| The Objectionable features of convict
| labor are not to be found in the fact that
prisoners employed, but to the methods
| of their employment and the fact that the
| products of their labor are sold in the open
| market.
| In response to the general demand for re-
formative laws, the general tendency of
| prison legislation has been in the direction
| of reducing the quantity of goods mauufac-
| tured for sale. and the assumption by the
state of the complete control and manag-
| ment of the prison population. This Is
/ shown by the following facts, obtained
from recent reports Of the department of
| labor:
! Value OF CoBvicts' Work.
| Considering the penitentiares and prisons
| of the country, it appears that the total
| value of the work done and goods produced
| by the convicts was $24,271 07S39 in 1885
and S19,0i2, 4723 33 in 1896, a decrease of p. 5
per cent, while the number of convicts in
| creased from Al SIT in 1885 to "a pa in 1895
| In 1855 there were twelve states in which
| the lease and fifteen In which the public
| account system of employment were In use
| while in 1895 there were but seven states
] in which the lease system was used and
| twenty In which the public-account
| system was in use. The lease system is one
of the methods of employ In which the
| state has no control over the quantity or
| disposition Of the products, and but slight
| control over the discipline and care of the
prisoner. while under the publlc-account
| system the state has full control of both
The lease. contract, and piece-price sys-
| TENS of employing convicts are the three
methods under which the products Of their
| labor are utilized for the pecuniary benefit
| of both private individuals and the, state
AS now conducted the three systems have
many features in common. The contract
and piece-price systems are used generally
where the convicts are to be worked at or
Immediately adjoining the prison, and the