The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1909-03-19
PRISON
SYSTEM VIEWED
By OUR GOVERNOR
Executive Office. Tallahassee, Fla,
March II, 1903.
Editor Pensacola Journal:

4 ~~-~e- - -~-1 ~~''fte
Editor Pensacola Journal:
! am pleased TO learn that you are
taking an interest in the convict ques-
Ition. and expressing that interest in
1.-THE columns Of your paper.
The prison system is one Of the
Imost important Of our institutions,
land in its proper administration the
oficers charged with the duty Of
supervising the prisons are deserving
of the best thought and cooperation
to be derived from intelligent public
sentiment on the subject. The news
papers can render valuable assistance
by publishing accurate information,
and building up sound public opinion
relative to this matter.
Under law the board of commits
sioners Of state institutions, COM
posed of the governor and all of the
cabinet, have supervision over the
state prison system.
am herewith handing you copy
of the reasons which governed this
board in making lease of the state
convicts prior to the assembling of
the legislature. The reasons given
seemed sound to the entire board.
Feeling such to have been the case,
decided that it would have been
lack of good faith to have referred
the matter to the legislature as any
other action than that which has been
taken by the board would have un-
doubtedly resulted in veto message.
Owing to financial conditions, it is
quite evident that the state convicts
should be leased, that being the only
practical disposition to make of them
for the present. The question then
was as to whether they should be
leased in body, or in groups or sec
tons. The latter plan was tried in
Georgia, and resulted in much scan
dal.
We invite your careful examina-
ton of the conditions to be fulfilled
by the contractors who lease the state
prisoners, and would suggest that
you compare these with the terms
upon which county convicts are leased
by your board of county commission
ers.
According to the information which
have received the darkest spot upon
our convict system lies in the improp-
er care given this matter by county
commissioners. There is reason to
believe that if these boards would
treat county convicts with the same
consideration that the state board
treats state convicts, there would be
no convict scandal in Florida.
In my inaugural address pointed
out that the death rate among the
convicts in the state convict camps
is 1925 per thousand, and that in
the registration area of New Eng
land, New York, New Jersey, Della
ware, the District of Columbia, etc. =,
the death rate is IT'S per thousand.
This is a convincing argument that
the manner in which Florida's con-
victs are employed is conducive to
their healthfulness. Another thing
it is obvious that it would be i'm
practicable to handle long term con-
victs in the temporary camps which
would be necessary in connection with
road working.
1t may be suggested that if the
state is DESTROYS of securing good
roads through the agency of the con-
Wet system, that law might be pass
ed by which the proceeds from the
leasing of convicts should be applied
to the construction of good roads.
l hope that you will bring your
cannons, loaded with the shot and
shell of printers ink, to bear upon
your commissioners, and get them to
understand that convicts have GER
tain rights.
On January 25, 1909, the board of
commissioners of state institutions
adopted the following preamble and
resolution:
Whereas, two sessions of the legis-
latura having hoay, oo,,,,o,.<I =.