Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-05
The Prison Labor Bill.

| Editor Kennebec Journal:
one OF the most important measures
Ia receive consideration by our present
legislature. is entitled. An Act to au-
thorize Employment of County Pris-
cners on Highways" | suppose that
there is no portion of the laws of our
state affecting the welfare OF any class
of persons. that has received so little
! attention and so few am ndments as
the statute providing fer the treatment
Of the inmates OF our county prisons
| Our legislatures have not given serious
attention To any attempt to improve
the moral and economical condition OF
| hundreds of eaptiVes confined IN the
| iails of the state. indeed IL is not 10
be expected that Legislators Will take
much interest in any reform that mas
not to some extent aroused their con-
stituents and surely Maine people are
very far behind those OF many other
states in the matter OF prison reform.
| They have not kept in touch with the
spirit of the age on this subject. Our
| law is practically the same as 1t was
ninety years ago.
I propose briefly to refer to what IS
| being done and said about the employ
nent on public roads of inmates of
|
prisons and jails in other states, SO far
as I can from data which is available.
| The system of contract labor for prl-
soners is almost universally condemned
| because OF its competition with free Ia
| Dor; therefore there have been for seN-
eral years various systems of labor
/ adopted To avoid this objection. a
number OF states and counties as in
MaSsachusetts' naive pioN i''eu *. u
Ior convict i"noi anu aiiiioa' ~ -
| ~ WIZ ~ i.,,.'''' - -
healtl ',i'' i'ioiai VI .i' ~ ''o't,,s ..i'e
'i'iSiii'ih" =, .'ie eo"iitH -
greater number u SUITS ia :.
Jaws giving TO county oiiiei'''s ''osii -,
Ivy :" eitii,ioS jan iiliii'tes 9Po" en-
peplic to"uS u,iaei i''ies "n'e,' 80
protect Tue puoilc anu pr e,i. e9e'p
Il per die'h pay 10 De aiioNee' t..s =. -
oher @ccoroihs 10 ms eaiiiihs .sp.,ei.s
anu III mus VI eiie sts''ee' {.
number u oass -. = ,rha
ed for every thifty GAYS Nofk. IL
1ollo"'hs states aireSfuH liaNe euoi ~
the system uliaeI various iiio,'iiie''
tons VIZ: ooioIaao, l.oe!sian1, go
Ia Micils.h' HeH mt.Nie'' " -. -
ION, fl"Iiut' i'liiiols' NaIia"a' go
ana L tan. AS u e5oiofaoo' ITO -
nor gays IN recent hitss'Se'
| law, giving 10 cohNlc1s VIM "oiN w
| on the highways ten dags commute
| Ton Tor every thlrtN daSs "oih' ii'is,
| produced WONDERS Ior me con is1s anu
fof the STATE OF ooiofaoo. 1t ii.'o ~
lGuahlzed the prison. iftia.iee oii's
are employed on the feaas- ii'si :
are 10 armed GUARDS ana ese',pes "ie
very rev. ohiy one III tiie hl -. 50
months. Inc prisoners are aiieNeo
pay.
All nut elfNeh q he lfo epaii'is.s -
tiie S'ate on N'eoi sla eihiip.oS 'ileii y
onefS' oolh ieioils aiia no
on the pupilc ioius ailu on iei iiis ~
the last TWO Eears oiVuo coiiN NC .''
ooeh at WORK on tue Paoiie io'tas u sl.s
/ Sttste anu tlie Pil9oA eoiiiiiA''e4 =
! proudly prtulct' III men iepoi :, eli..s
! dee ga VIII s"oh ieaa '"e
lnllso states III tie iiide' u
dlc highways.
All eXfaustiNe lfpoIt u 'iie. -.
| uoh;A committee oh eiit'i 81 i'0''N
| last NoNeliloeI' ue'laleS t"a' ~
nave peeh hat very lew $50 Pc Pc ~ -
stdle' VI men 30 eiiiP'ose a. 10
mlttee' when reports tilIousl its "
eral HecIe'diN w hltlh' H. - VI
| luiilpid sly 10y -
pfonaply no more tfust"oi',is a1'i, e,
ltN After oii1 Seal oi 9''us I'M.
ire Irepoiaelous ol eNiusiice III ID ~
Oh the state use system, +.l'ei a
oiu year Vi S'uuS anu iui nv -
satloii 'ile eo''i'iiletee - ~ {.
deciaie % PteJuu'''a, ~ - -,
OF the prisoners ana me pun. ~
Cohtidct sSSe''i VI ~ isoii -.
1t is very Significant OF tne sro"liis
dNoi VI 'ii'o ms ''i'' - -
| iilHtt, III l"tiNt ptllNt ot@'Nt' 'ii''' -
not yet adopted the system, their gov