The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-12

Some of the difficulties attendant upon the transfer of 2O0O or more convicts from the present lease camps to 102 counties in the state which will take place by law on April 1, are being interestingly dis cussed
 An old penitentiary employe, who prob
 ably knows as much about dealing di- rectly with convicts as any one connected
 with 1t, predicts that unless extreme pre- cautions are taken at least 10 per cent of these convicts will make their escape dur ing the transfer. They may be shackled and handcuffed, he said, but some of them will find the opportunity of escape, and they may be counted upon to take ad- vantage of 1t.
 '"ro transfer 2000 convicts to 102 different points without some escapes" he said,
 lis next to impossible, I don't care how careful the guards may be. By extreme precaution the number of escapes can, of course, be held down to a small minimum but it is going to take. I fear, more care
 than will be given to 1t. I am not a
 pesslmst, but I know something about convicts."
 Members of the commission stated that every possible precaution would be taken to prevent escapes, but 1t is going to be a difficult matter to get sufficient guards to travel with all these men to keep
 every one from getting away. Another interesting matter to which at tention has been called is the effect of the law requiring that each convict upon his release must be given a suit of clothes | and a ticket back to his home. l The other day a lessee found that he ] had two convicts whose terms expire on | April 1. The lease contracts terminate | at midnight of March 31 and he wanted | to know who was responsible for the | suits of clothes and the return tickets. He ' t~f0 AL. | 1 the bill as the co>victs would not at that time be in the possession of the counties. He reluctantly consented to | do so.
 There are ten or dozen convicts whose | terms of service expire before April 10. | and some thirty or more who will gain | their freedom during the month of April. | Whatever counties these men fall to will | have to furnish the suit of clothes and
 the return ticket, although they may get only one or two days, and in some cases one or two weeks work from them It is expected that this will result in some protest lodged with the commission, but there is no help for it. and those coun- ties who get men whose terms are about out will have to foot this bill. The time for making acquisitions for convicts to work on the county roads closes tomorrow. The commission will not consider any applications sent in after that date.
 Up 10 date 100 counties have asked for convicts, leaving A, which will not take them. These 102 counties are entitled to l4O4 convicts as their legal pro rata, in the event the white conviots are all placed on state farm, as Is now contemplated
 But if for any reason it should be de- cided not to buy the farm and to put the white conyicts on road work. the total distribution to these counties would
 be 1G59 convicts.
 Eliminating the women and invalids this will leave only about 400 overs" to be apportioned among those counties which want convicts in excess of their leGal quota. whereas they have asked for