Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-12-01
Al Delegate to lie International Prison
Congress Raises This pelicate
Question.

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That the prisons of this country are
an unreasonably high charge upon
their communities, that they spread
tuberculosis ana other diseases that
they manufaeturs an army OF crimi-
nails inside the prison walls and an
army Of panpers outside the prison
walls these are some of the state
ments made by Mr.. Leboxitz, dele
gate to the National Committee on
Prison Labor to the International
Prison Congress, which assembled in
Washington, October %, to discuss
crime and punishment.
Mr.. Leboyitz believes that this IN
fortunate state Of AFFAIRS is due largely
to the fact that the labor of the con.
Yicts is not directed wisely or scien-
tiacally and has submitted resolu.
ton to the congress calling for q thor
ough investigation into every aspect
of the prison labor problem.
ssOur prison population, he says, in
8 booklet especially prepared for cir
culation among the delegates, Ameri-
can and foreign. averages 100, 900 able
bodied men and women. Most of them
are productivity employed.
aNow it must be evident that the
industrial organization or mal-organ.
|ization Of such s tremendous army of
workersan army greater than many
81 our greatest Industrial cities can
Fboastsnust automatically produce,
ia 4 social mechanism so delicately
adjusted as ours. the most profound
and far.reaching consequences Thas,
the sycyr first investigations Of the
National Committee on Prison Labor
have pointed clearly to 4 direct and
vital relationship between prison ia
bor and the spread Of tuberculosis, be-
tween nrison labor and dependency,
unemployment. 4 degraded standard
81 living and many other social dis.
eases 1.
.sTha criminal Il the costliest unit
IN sociatv A. prof Henderson, pref.
aant az The international Prison Con.
eress has wei lsaid. THE social in
come is 81 ser;onsyl reduced by crime
that means are often lacking for the
sunnort az the agencies Of culture
.rbara are NOT enough rooms in oar
school houses. teachers are poorly
Maid backgrounds are too narrow. and
~ mo ,,ts-,f vital interest are
NOT satisf;ad raca,,sa the financial re.
snrrce sof the state are. exhausted In
tss conrf,;cts wifi, c,r;ma, 4 4
p.onle ,,.v the price.
3 s.so long, a. the criminal il at lib
a,tv. tho. atata has M means OF re-
oo,,n;ng itself J. for his denredationss. !"
tho noot1et continues hut during the
~ 3 HE @,rnr;sonment the state
has oyorv soepnortnnitv 10 direct his
- ~ = .,,c, ,,s,as9,,l nurnoses win
r,atar;s,,v ,a,,,ce 80 The Il total Hill for
s ri Vel ,nost 81 our. prisons not
o j ", fail d this. but become them.
elves sgIvs t,scal burden upon the co n
r,,,n,tv s II
sssrh;s hanxruntcv Of the nrison sys.l
Tom i az the more extraordinary
when the many rich possibilities Of
Fac siruation are taken into account,
rs !. avaraea. nrison Is 4 great indus.
!, rial establishment represenring. fire.:
o,,snflv an investment of a million
do,1ars a. more and employing every.
dav e tha worrying wear some i 600
abie.bodied men. The cost Of feeding
to. ; men Is less than fifteen cents al
dav. e 4 clothine them less than ffteeni
dola,rs wear Salaries are low
e1,ards and keepers average from $500
s 5000 ! wear: wardens. $1,000 to
a af,f, F,xnanditures for educational
and reformatory purposes are low
3. d .xsts,ssS }, 3. 1r.r, = ..s. -