The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-07-30
SOLUTION
Of The Vexed Problem .Of
Prison Labor
Prisoners To Manufacture Sup.
plies For State Institutions
columbus Dispatch)

With the abOlfshing OF the last vest
ige of the contract labor system, the
Ohio penitentiary is being transformed
from medieval prison house into
modern reform institution.
Instead of being driven like slaves
by contractors who coin dollars from
their muscle and blood, costing them
almost nothing for the hazardous and
labor, penitentiary pris-
oners are now to be employed by the
state in the cleanly, safe and hope.
manufacturing pursuits.
Since the final complete abolition Of
the contract labor system some weeks
ago, the board Of administration has
been confronted with the momentuous
and perplexing problem of what to do
with some 1900 idle convicts. From
the past, It has learned the horrors Of
insanity, disease, morbid melancholy
and mutiny which resulted from a full
idle house."
Temporarily the situation has been
relieved by the employment of large
numbers of the prisoners in the work
of tearing down and clearing away
the old barn-like buildings on the pris-
on grounds, in which the bolt and
nut, stamping and cigar.making con.
tracts operated. Another big gang is
employed in quarries near the city.
and small detachments are kept busy
at repair work at other state institu.
tions or, during the summer, on the
state farms.
II is to solve the question of keep
ing the great body of prisoners profit
ably employed at sanitary, safe and
useful occupations that the state board
has decided to set up manufacturing
plant within the penitentiary walls.
When the plan, announced this week
by DR.. Arthur F. Shepard Of Dayton,
one Of the four board members, is car
ried into effect. probably from 400 to
500, nearly third of the prisoners
will be employed in the manufacture
Of socks. stockings, underwear, shirts
and. other, articles of clothins, for the
inmates of all Of the 10 state institu-
tions.
A soap-making plant for the manu-
facture of all grades of soaps, includ-
ing laundry, toilet and shaving soap.
will also be established for the en-
ployment Of another large number Of
convicts. The product Of this plant
will likewise be sold at low. nominal
prices to the other state institutions.
saving the state thereby thousands OF
dollars annually in the purchase of
this necessary commodity.
A third industry by which It is pro-
posed to employ many more prisoners
at q clean and congenial occupation,
is embarrassing. In the roasting ov-
ems to be installed and operated under
the supervision of experts. the hun.
dreds OF tons of coffee used annually
by the $4,000 inmates Of the state in
stitutions will be roasted with the aid
Of convict labor. Here also the state
will be saved thousands of dollars in
the purchase of roasted coffee. the
green berries being bought at low
prices in large quantities on the New
York docks and shipped direct to Co.
lumbus, whence. after roasting, the
coffee is to be distributed as needed
to the various institutions.
Under the law creating the state
board Of administration which has con-
troll Of administration which has con-
troll Of all the 10 state institutions, ar
ticles manufactured at the peniten-
tiary Of any other institution can be
disposed Of only to state institutions
or to the county or municipal institu.
tions, such as hospitals, infirmaries.
jails and warehouses;. Prison-made ar
ticles will thus be restricted In their
competition with free labor products.
DR.. Shepard estimates that the 49,
900 inmates Of state institutions win
require annually, each. at least four
suits Of underwear, and that the PEN
itentiary would therefore be required
to supply at least 100000 suits, or
practically the entire output. II there
should be a surplus supply. however,
this coud be sold, under the law, to
the county and municipal institutions.
The same would be true. says DR..
Shepard, with regard to disposing of
the product Of the soap-making and
coffee-roasting plants. Z
In order to stimulate hope, encour-
age thrift and increase efficiency, the
board has under consideration a plan
by which each prisoner will be re-
munerated for his labor by a moder-
ate wage. This will not be paid him
directly to be squandered nor gambled
away, but placed to his credit and CIV
en- him on release or sent to his family
or persons dependent on him.
sour aim is to reform men. instead