The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-24
PUT THE coNv1crs on THE ROADS

PUT THE CoNVICTs ON THE ROADS.
Former State Senator Charles L
LassitoT, Of Petersburg, one of the
leading good roads advocates in Vir-
ginis, yesterday delivered valuable
and practical address before the Good
Road Congress- In which he made some
extremely valuable suggestions. After
outlining the history or the good roads
movement In this Commonwealth and
giving duo honor and credit to those
who had great part I'm launching
the movement for this splendid reform
air. Lassiter said YirEinia's next step
Sc 70 better highways would be tho
logical consequence OF tho successful
operation Of our system of employing
convicts OIL tho roads. blazing the way
Tor other States seeking practical
and economical plan OF road improve
ment to follow. Here is the system
he proposes:
1t seems to me that prior to the ex-
pirGtion Of tho shoe contract the Leg
tsinturc of 1912 should provide for the
employment or the greater number OF
tho felon prisoners on tho roads and
In making road material and Rgricul-
tural lime. If this be done the State
VIII no longer need tho highly valuable
city property now occupied by the PEN
itentiary In Richmond. II Ia estimate ed
that this property Is worth about
5000 II IT were sold II would soon
become component part of the pulls
ing business life OF our beautiful cap
ital city. 1t would pay taxes to the
state and TO the city.
The proceeds, in my Judgment, should
be used in the establishment of q
prison farm in each one OF the ten
congressional districts. The Consti-
tuition requires q penitontiary. but as
We would not need worry large prison.
The new penitentiary could be built
upon the present State Prison Farm
In Goochland. or could be located in
some other district somewhere near
the geographical centre of the state
In the penitentinry there would be
confined the long term and dangerous
prisoners. whose duty II would be TO
make shoes. clothes and other supplies
Tor themselves and the men on the
roads, Their number, l find from an
analysis of the printed reports of the
penitcntiary, would be comparatively
small. The old men. women and chill
dren should be employed on the farms
In producing food for themselves and
Tor the other prisoners. In this way
n force OF about 1.4O0 able bodied la
porers, OF an average age of twenty
1--WE years, would he available from our
felon population for work on the roads,
In stockades, making road material
and agricultural lime
This plan oommends Itself most
strongly to our approval, although we
are not ready yet to indorse the nut
ting of convict labor to the making of
agricultural lime, while recognizing
the fact that tho principle seems well
established in other activities OF the
State.
In the opinion OF Mr. r.assiter. this
system would be incomplete without n
reformation OF the Jals. Two thou
sand misdemeanor prisoners are TO-
oay lying In jail al the expense of tax
payers Tt should be governmental
axiom that no person be kent In ,ol
AFTER eonvicti9n." for the jails should
De USED only. fog. pers6ns awaiting trial
In the absence OF bail. After conytc-
ton. misdemeanor prisoners, who are
state prisoners also, should be sent
20 the district prison farms. In such
wa! there can be made available in
1913 force OF from $500 to 3.ooo ah,o-
ooaieo men Tor road work. mo Longer
would 1t be necessary for the State
TO appropriate S25O,ooo the year for
state money aid nor $4,000 a year
ior the support of prisoners in tails,
comparatively small addition TO
these sums already appropriated wop,d
take care OF NIL the prison population.
VINO would be at work creating values
for the Taxpayers" points out Mr.
Lassiter.
II has been the experience Of vir-
Einie that the prisoners engaged IN
'oad work have uniformly improved e.,
health and many have shown a better
moral tone on account of working. In
TACT 81 is the only logical thing Tor
ihe state 10 DO this putting Of men
10 work on roads, because il Is III,
pep, sort OF work Tor them. since (,
IS not indoor work Thc state oyes (,
auty 70 It's prisoners that of Ieopinr
them In as good health as ppysibl,
end in preventing that idleucss whicy
iropaiFs the body ana weakens ii,
mind
MT Inssiter's plan is am exeeneu
one, 1t win be acceptable 20 the pcopl,
of the state, and 1t will be bencfca
20 them because It viii trernesdousI,
accelerate q reform to when ticy ar,
unquestionaoIy and heartily coin
n!tted