The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-11-21
DENOL.NCES METHOD
OF PRISON LABOR

BALTIMORE Special. Som
domination OF the contract labor
system aud praise OF the New
York and Minnesota Estate use"
and state account system OF
employing prison labor was the
keynote of the report OF the Com
nittcc ON Prison Labor, which
was read before the delegates to
the annual convention OF the
American Prison Association by
Frederick III. Mills, chairman of
that committee. here today.
The committees comment on
the contract labor system and the
"State use" or state account
system of regulating convict la
Dor follows:
The contract system. under
which the State provides civil
contractors with convict labor Is
handicapped by at least three
great evils.
"(a) In making such n con-
tract, the State abdicatcS the very
position which gives IL the right
OF relationship as n police power.
"(b) IL uses the sovereign power
or the State to encourage unfair.
competition with its own citizens.
"(c) Ii loses control over the
integrity of the prisoner as
workman and the power of die
tatton over the integrity OF his
work.
The piece price system, SO
called, Is the contract system un-
der another name, with more IA
Nor to the contractor and less Sc
curity OF financial return to the
State We. therefore, include the
two systems as one. and can only
recommend this system when no
other TnRnnG nf
be provided.
I'VE believe that employment
OF prisoners should be directed
entirely by the States. and that
the products OF their la Dor should
be disposed OF by the State.
we believe that the first con-
stdcratiOn I'm every organization
should be the training OF the
prisoner, and after that the fin
ancial results. We believe that
all the work carried on I'm The
prisons should no 50 distributed
and diversified. that employment
can be provided for ali the popu-
lation of the institution, and the
production resulting thcrefrOm OF
sufficient variety. so that no I'M
equal burden may come on any
individual industry. That every
prison should be so classified that
at all times provided with work
on farms, roads and other OUT
side work, and a large portion of
each prison population should be
employed on the State Account
System. and wherever possible
the production OF their labor
should be disposed or to the State
and its political divisions.
We believe IL is possible for
IN hnr
or two million inha bitants, or
moro, 10 employ all its convict
population I'm the manufacture or
raising OF articles for the use of
sions."
In dealing with the criticism of
the state use" and "State ac-
count" systems of employing con-
NctS, the report says: 1.-The
whole system will be criticised by
those who have not taken the
time TO make n study OF the
prison labor system. Their whole
argument Is based on N faIse
premise that IL IL wrong for the
State 10 receive any profit from
the products of prison labor. The
answer Is that N NONCOMPLIANCE
with this system would result In
inefiicicncy, while efficiency Is the
- &c VI ihOucFn industrial SyS-
tenn"
Continuing, the report says:
Your committee Is fully aware
that a system of labor adaDte,i To
the larger and more poDtIouS
states may not be possible of on
Grafton In all the States. They.
therefore, give their endorsement
10 the successful efforts made in
many States and Canada in out
door employmcnts."
IN conclusion, the report saws:
The prisoners in every STATE
should be 50 classified and grOun-
ca that labor, always, directed
Oy the State. can be provided suit
apiy 10 the needs of each class of
PRISONERS. y certain proportion
OF prisoners should be eTffnIoved
at farm work. road buiIdinp
building erection and other ONT
side work Another, and prob-
aoty larger group. Including an
the rest or the prison population
should be employed at productiye
industries In the manufacture OF
general merchandise. selected
Doth with view of trade InsfruC-
Ton and utility OF product. and
the products of such empIoyment
should be sold TO and used by the
state, so far as possible, and
wherever the needs OF the Stare
are not sufficient TO absorb the
products they should be sunnIe-
mented by others that can be tised
Wlthln the State where they are