The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-30
PRISON LABOR To BE
USED ON BIG SCALE
Idaho Officials Have Been In
vestigating Conditions in
Other States.
Special 10 the TrIhnne.

SpccldlE 70 lnE | lrlbun",
BOISE. Idaho. Oct. 29;-Prison labor
on Il much larger scale than is now re-
sorted 10 by Inmates Of The penltenrfary
OF this state will probably result 10 the
benefit of the inmates OF ldaho's penal
Institution. and the state In general as
the result OF theHtrIp that Secretary Of
State G.. l.. Clifford and Warden John
Shook have just completed when they
visited The penitenliarics In The states o.,
Kansas. Colorado and Utah, as we'll as
attended The National Prison Congress
held at Omaha OctobcT IL TO N. Secre
tary of State Clifford is member of the
prison labor commission created by the
lust Legislature and his trip was for the
purpose OF gathering Information for this
commission. Warden Shook Is also q
member OF the commission and was prom
incnt at the meetings of the wardens
held at Omaha during The time the prison
congress was in session. = detailed re-
port Will be made TO the next legislature
by the commissions and IL will contain
many recommended tons for the employ
ment OF the Inmates Of the penitentiary
on much larger scale than has here
totore been followed.
we secured great dea! of ralua BILE
Information as The result of our trip and
we believe viii work ou, TO s success W., in in
tho inmates Of the pcnitentiary are con-
cerne0 stated Secretary of State Gif-
ford. Il am not in . position 10 give
out our plans AT this time. They will be
impressed with some Of the mediums Of
labor used for prisoners in the several
penal instil utions We visited and believe
that here in Idaho we can employ more
men proftabiy in the penitentiery proper
and probably on the roads OF the state
Valuable Suggestions.
Many papers were read at the prison
congress hy prominent men Interested in
prison reform and they contained some
very valuable suggestions. What inter"
IN 1irnu n'.-
ever, was our visit to the pcpiIcutiaries
OF ether states.
We visited three OF the prisons in
Kansas, the federal and military prisons
al Fort Ieavenworth and the state pen
itentisry al Lansing. At tho latter the
conVicts ar" engaged in twine factory
and the cGal mines. The factory is with
In the prison and tho coal mine is ON
prison ground, the entrance being Just
outside There are probably 300 men en-
pIoyed In both. We inspected thc fed
the death Of John K. Walsh. The Chicago
banker. The inmates Of this institution
are also employed about the pepiientiary.
"One OF the most interesting sights in
connection with the Colorado pen!tentiary
was the work OF the convicts on the
road. The penltcntiary is located at
are located i'm camps in various parts o!
the state where they are worked on The
roads under the supervision of over
seers, not guards as they say thsro. The
roads which have been built by the con.
v,cts are excellent, The counties in
which they arc huilt pay for the main
tenancc OF the camps. or the board. loae-
ing. etc. Of the crews and keep up the
roads ai'rr they arc bull; al the eH-
pense ot the county. The pcnitsntlary
also has "A factory for shoes and clothing
To supply the state institutions Prob
ably $50 men in ali arc engaged at .re
various occupations. They also have
farm.
The Utah state penltentIary is To-
Gated at salt Lake The convicfs there
and socks and the pcnItentiary Is n
model one This is particularly true with
respect 10 the new cell house that has
Just been completed, Ii is one of the
finest ! have ever seen, The short and
long-term prisoners are given the most
trusty work
Il found as result OF my invcstiga-