The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-10-14
Commissioner of Charities
and Corrections Analyz IS
the Work Done at Our
Penal Institutions.
CONVICT LABOR DISCUSSED
COST OF THE PRISONS MAISTE-
NANCE LAST YEAR WAS 1921, 900
AND IT'S LABOR EARNED $780,
oco-How THIS WORK Ar
FECTS FARMERS.

DiScussinf c0nvice labor in his report
to the Governor Commissioner of Chari-
ties and Corrections George B. Wight
has this to say of the State Prison
The State Prison at Trenton has an
average of 1,1T5 inmates, fifty-three of
whom are females. The women are all
employed in making and repairing the
garments worn in the prison; some 800
men are empoyed in various capacities
connected with the operations of the
prison, or in interior repairs upon it, an
average of 57S men have been employed
upon seven Contracts, leaving an average
of PA unemployed or incapactated. The
numbef employed about the prison seems
| unduly large and the work could uns
doubtedly have been performed by less
| number, but there was no other employ
ment for them, and it was desirable they
should have something to DO
'sTie question of convict labor is of
great interest and Importance; it con-
tinually arises and will not down. until
some day wisdom, philanthropy and~mu-
tual concession shall arrive at satisfac-
tory adjustment.
THE convict for economic, as well as
for sanitary reasons. should be employed.
but the State by limiting the number to
be employed upon any one industry to
100. wisely seeks to prevent this form of
labor from seriously competing with free
labor, and in my inquiries, | have kept
4 this fact, as well as your well-known
views upon the subject, constantly in
mind
1T cost last year $224.o to maintain
] the prison 1t earned from contract la
Dor $4,000, received for the support Of
United States prisoners $500, and from
other sources enough more to make an
aggregate of SS2 900, which deducted
from the cost of maintenance. leaves
$4,000 as the net cost of the prison, to
be paid out of the treasury of the State.
While the State prison is not a CONNER
cial institution, but place for the pun
ishment of crime and the reformation of
the criminal. if possible, it must be con-
ceded that it is due to the State to make
it as nearly self-supporting as possible.
But in efforts 70 this end the State
and the criminal are not the only parties
concerned; the prisoners family, if he
has one may have claims to considera-
ton, as being the real sufferers for the
crime; while the husband and father is
confined IN prison. clothed and fed, his
family may be left to the charity of
friends or to find refuge in the alns-
house
"Observing that several philanthropic
bodies were considering the question of
the support of the convict's family, and
having personal knowledge of cases
where families of criminals We're sup
ported by charity. | made some study of
the proposition to give the conyict's fam
lily a share of the prison earnings. This
proposition I had the honor to present
to the State Federation of Labor at its
recent meeting, where it met with con-
siderable favor, though, of course, no Of
fetal action was taken. The, incident
was discussed in the newspapers Of the
country and with such unanimity of APP
proval as to indicate large popular sen
timent in its favor. But several infu-
entail papers of the State oppose the
plan, AMI the arguments they present
against it are of great force,and the OBJ
jections they urge must be overcome oil
the plan cannot be put into operation.
This contribution to e support of the
convict's family. or a sum laid aside fol
him if he has no family. for it amounts
i to this, means a reduction in the income
from the prison, unless the income car
be increased. Is it possible to increase
it? If not the proposition must be aban-
doned, for the State now receives a very
inadequate sum for its convict labor: bul
believe it can and ought to be increased
Last year out of !, 1,175 convicts, 57s were
employed on seven contracts, averaging
). eighty-three men each; this was all that
could be employed in the workshops nov
available, but with additional workshops
which it will pay the State to provide, al
least 500 .....ea eess.sss: be regularly anf
proftably employed, with but little extra
expense.
The income last year from the SIS
men thus employed was $69.00O Tit
State has right TO expect. Of course
J that the men will be employed By ths
: contractors on an average of eight hour.
per day. for 300 days in i rear. and as