The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-23

-aldUdaitd. ZIG per eApelee lS lttI +
Hence, even in these States. the custom
has not yet been established on an en-
tirely satisfactory basis.
CLASS OF CONNECTS EMPLOYED ON
THE PUBLIC ROADS.
Laws in the different States usually
specify that in the assignment Of conviCts
to work on the public roads, only able
bodied males. sentenced for short terms,
arc to be selected. In the few cases
where women are included in the provis-
ions of these laws, they are employed i'll
cooking or washing for the prison camps.
Thus, for example. in the States OF Vir-.
snia. West Virginia, Kentucky, Tonnes
see, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Flori-
da, Georgia, only such convicts as are
guilty Of misdemeanors may be assigned
to work on the public roads. and for
these the sentence does not usually-excecd
one year, which. when the costs are ADDED.
may be thereby extended to nearly two
years in extreme cases. In Alabama, Ill
a few cases, all able bodied male con-
yicts, whose terms of sentence do not
exceed two years. may be assigned to
work on the public roads. In South
Carolina all such convicts are assigned
to work on the public roads whose terms
of sentence do not exceed FIVE years. and
in North Carolina this limit is extended
TO ten years.
The North Carolina law controlling the
assignment Of conyicts for public road
building purposes is, perhaps. the most
sweeping to be found in any Of the South
ern States, and may be quoted as fol-
lows:
MANAGEMENT OF THE CONVICT
ROAD FORCE.
AS a rule it has not been found eco
nomical to work convicts on the pubic
roads when the squad consisted OF less
than ten men, it is customary to have one
guard for each ten men, and OF course
this one guard is necessary. even were
there only one or two men in the squad.
in addition to the guards there is usu-
ally superintendent Of the work: conse-
quently, this work is carried on most eif1-
GENTLY when the road force or camp con-
tains from thirty to fifty men. When the
number Of convicts to be employed on the
roads in any county approaches 100, it
has been found better to divide the force
into two squads or camps, each of which
will have it's own local superintendent and
guards, and both squads will be managed
under the general supervision of the
county superintendent of roads, he IN
turn being responsible to the County
Court or Board of County. Commissioners.
1t is usually urged against this system
Of road building that it offers too many
opportunities for the escape OF prisoners.
Experience in many counties. however.
has shown that the average annual es-
capes amount to less than one per cent.
Usually The prisoners assigned to the
roads are men who live III the community
and have families and some property
there, and consequently do not care to
leave permanently: hence they rarely at
tempt to escape. Such prisoners as show
a desire to escape. or who. III the ]udS-
ment OF the superintendent, are men Ia
bic to make an effort in that direction,
are usually required TO carry a ball and
chain, which, while it makes it impossible
for the prisoner to rcn rapidly, yet it does
not seriously hamper his movements con-
nected with the regular work.
At the close or the day the prisoners
are marched along the road to their tenn
porary quarters, which, consists usually
of either heavy, large tents. portable
houses on wheels, or portable houses
built either of wood or corrugated iron
built III sections SO they can be easily
taken to pieces. removed and set up
again. In order 10 facilitate their being
safely guarded during the night, without
too great risk and expense, each prisoner.
when he goes to bed. has either one loot
one mana 1lSIeiicu- tOpSciS 10 u clldll
or rod, from which he can be easily re-
leased the following morning. The beds
or hunks for these convicts are easily and
cheaply made comfortable, and the COM
fort of their temporary quarters is iln-
proved during the summer by ample Ven
tila:ion. and during the winter by the use
of stoves.
The cooking and washing ut the camps
is usually done by some trusty male con-
rict. who is especially experienced II.
that direction. or by the female prisoners.
o., in still other cases by hired labor.
! The carrying. of water. along with other
similar errands, is usually assigned to
the younger prisoners or such as may
not BE sufficiently strong for the regular
work on the roads Isolated jobs are
usually, assigned to certain prisoners who.
from their associations and generally good
character, are considered safe for carry
ing on such work without the immediate
supervision OF guards. and such prison
ers Gro usually designated the TRUSTEES
| Of the camp.
| The work Of road building is usually
extended to a distance of / or / IL miles
| in each direction from the camp. and
the camp is then moved a sufficient dis
lance so that two or three miles of addi-
tionai road may be built before second
removal becomes necessary.
The work done by these convict road
builders includes everything there is to
he done. Thus in counties like Mecklen-
! burg lin North Carolina). where great
efficiency has Eeen reached in acadia
| MIXING. everything except the guarding
and the general supervision of the worl:
is done by convicts.s They drive the
teams, handle the slloycls and picks. ride
the road machines. run the engines opc-
raj q tie stone crnsllers and great steam,
.alIarS In 81 her ..t,lir1ties they sIreld the