The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1903-01-28

prisoners convicted Of misdemeanors
only may be assigned to work on the
public roads, and for these the sentence
does not usually exceed a year, which,
when the costs are added, may be there
by extended to nearly two years IN ex-
IRENE cases. In Alabama. in few
eases, all ablebodied male prisoners
whose terms of sentence do not exceed
two years may be assigned to work on
the public roads. In Soutb Carolina
this limit is extended to five years and
in North Carolina to ten years.
The experience in North Carolina
during the past ten years has shown
that all the ablebodied male prisoners
whose terms Of sentence do not exceed
ten years may be successfully employ
led at the ordinary work Of highway
improvement. Many such prisoners in
different southern states whose terms
of sentence range between one and ten
years are now employed under either
the lease or contract system or under
state control, and are working on
farms or in mines and factories. All
OF these might be employed in improv-
ing the public highways. The expense
entaiIed would not be great, the difh-
eulties which seem to stand in the way
would disappear In practice, and the re-
suit would be, of incafculable benefit In
helping along industrial and education
al development In each of these states.
AS rule, it has not been found
economical to work eonvicts Oh the
public roads when the squad consisted
OF less than eight or ten men. It Is
customary to have one guard for each
ten or fifteen men, and Of course this
enc guard would be necessary even
: were there only. one OF two men in the
squad. In addition to the guards. there
is usually u superintendent Of the work;
consequently this work is carried Oh
most efficiently when the road force
or camp contains from thirty to fifty
men. When the number of convicts
to be employed on the roads in any
county is more than fifty OF sixty, it
force into two squads or camps. each
having it's own local superintendent
and guards.
1t is usually urged against this sys-
TEN of roadbuildiDg that it offers too
many opportunities for the escape Of
prisoners. Experience in many coun-
ties, however, has shown that the aver
age annual escapes amount to less than
, per cent. and the few who do escape
are usually recaptured within day
or two.
4 comparison OF the figures given
with similar figures for hired labor
shows that the cost of convict labor in
several states ranges from one-third to
one-half that Of the hired labor en-
ployed On the public roads in those
states. In the two Carolinas and Geor-
sia. where the road work is carried on
with great efficiency, the cost Of main
tanning and guarding the convicts at
work on the public roads ranges In
maay counties from 20 to 80 cents per
convict per day and is even considerably
less than the cost Of feeding them in
the county Jail.
Morning and evening the prisoners
are marched along the road from and
to their temporary quarters, which con-
sist usually Of either heavy, large tents,
portable houses on wheels OF structures
either of wood or corrugated iron built
in sections so they can be easily taken
to pieces, removed and set up again.
In order to facilitate their being safely
guarded during the night without too
great risk and expense each prisoner
when he goes to bed has either one foot
or one hand fastened loosely 10 chain
or rod. from which he can be easily re-
leased the following morning.
1t has been the general verdict from
the various counties in the southern
states where convict labor is employed
in roadbuilAin~ to any considerable ex-
sent that in both efficiency and cheap
ness it is decidedly superior to such
free labor rs is ordinarily available
fhcre for this wOr'.