The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-07-25
PROBLEM OF PRISON LABOR.


This ever recurring question is
again the subject of more or less
discussion in Duluth labor circles. It's
an old problem that seems ever new.
What to do with the city and county
prisoners in the St. Louis county Jail
gives occasion for the present dis
cussion.
We have given the question Of
prison labor in general much thought
and reflection, and our conclusion OF
the whole matter can best be ex-
pressed by quotation from the writ
i1igs of the late Grover Cleveland: "A
condition Of affairs which makes penal
institutions source Of revenue to the
state or municipality is neither COM
mefidable nor desirable
We have thought for some time that
our present system Of dealing with
the problem Of prison labor is dis
grace to twentieth century civiliza-
ton. Unscrupulous prison labor con-
tractors, aided by state laws, and in
too many instances grating pe1iten-
tiary wardens, are getting rich at the
expense of three classes: first, the un-
fortunate humanity in prison; second,
free struggling labor on the outside;
third, honest manufacturers and en-
pltyers Of free labor. To these might
be added other classes who frequent
ly suffer most of all, the wives and
children Of the prisoners, to say no.
thing Of the general public.
Let it be distinctly understood that
the Labor World believes in working
at hard labor for eight hours each
working day, every individual, male
or female. who is incarcerated for
trArsEressing the laws Of our city,
state or nation. The well being Of
the prisoners themselves demand it.
What we object to is the injustice
and inhur11anity OF the methods now
in vogue for furnishing prisoners en-
ployn1ent.
The methods are unfair to manu-
faeturers in the free market, because
they havs to meet the competition Of
prison contractors who purchase the
labor of prisoners at reduced rates.
with free power, rent, heat, machinery
ETC., thrown in. We are not unmind-
full of the fact that in some states
the laws require prison made articles
to be so marked. Those who have
investigated the matter say, that such
laws are practically dead letters. be-
cause easily evaded, and are In most
cases wholly disregarded.
Any one who will read the blood
curdling' accounts of the working OF
the methods in the state Of Georgia,
can reach no other conclusion than
that the whole system Of prison con-
tract labor is rotten to the core
We have plan which il put into
practice would, we think, solve the
problem. Instead OF making the labor
OF prisoners revenue for prison con-
tractors or for the state, let the
wages of prisoners be fixed at the
same rate as that Of free labor, and
after deducting their cost Of Keep
clothes, wear and tear, etc., let the
balance be handed over to their de-
pendent wives, children or widowed
mothers and where such do not exist
1t might revert to the prisoner at the
expiration of his sentence, for who
needs it more than he to make a new
start in life.
BY the system herein suggested the
prisoner would be disciplined and pun
ished, the state would not be out a
cent, and the prisoner himself wher
discharged would enter upon his lib.
erty with sense that he had re.
cetved what was justly his due. In
short he would be a reformed man
with better sense than before NJ th<
duties OF good citizenship.
We have been told by some ON
that over the entrance to a certain
well known penitentiary, the new ar.
rival is greeted with the words
Whose enters here leaves hope be.
hind" We don't know for certai,
that such announcement is over tn
door: but it might just as we'll be
r Prisoners in most Of the state peni
tentiaries are subjected to such wrong.
? and ihdignities, that instead Of bein,
X made better men they are inf1nitel,
|. worse citizens at the end Of thei,
term than they were at It's commence.
+. faent.
q improvements in prison rr1anake
Il n1ert and discipline have not ken
/. pace with other advances in our civi
lization. and cities ana counties Ar,
8s sven 'r Il more backward in. this respee
than ~ the state authorities. what,
the matter with tbs city of Dul,,tl