Arizona republican., 1913-11-11
PRISON LABOR
 IN 13 STATES
Is Now Devoted to Build ing and Repairing Roads. Progress of Such Legisla- tion and Features of It's Development
Especial to The Republican,

Especial to The Republican, Thirteen states passed laws during the present year allowing the use of convicts in the construction and re- pair of highways, according to a com pilation by Dr. E. Stagg Whitin, as sistant in social legislation in Colum- bia university, and chairman of the executive committee of the national committee on prison labor. They are Indiana, Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Yer mont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. As many other states had previously passed similar legislation, but few of the forty eight states have not seen the wisdom of using prisoners to build and maintain public roads.
 West Virginia and Iowa are the two states whose laws regarding the working of convicts on highways stand out most prominently. So anxious was the governor of the former to secure an effective law that he came to New York, and, with the assistance of repre- sentatives of the national committee on prison labor, of the road department of Columbia University, and of the legis- lative drafting bureau worked out bills making compulsory the employment of conVicts on the roads.
 The West Virginia law authorizes the county courts to make appropriations out of road funds fer convicts work; it states that the court shall sentence any male person over IS to road work instead of to the county jail; persons charged with misdemeanors unable to furnish bail shall work on the roads, and, if acquitted when tried, shall be paid 50 cents day for each days work they perform; justices of the peace shall sentence to work on the roads persons convicted of crime whom oth- erwise they would send to the county jail
 Another feature of the West Virginia law is the establishment of a state road bureau to supervise any plans pro- posed by a county for using prison labor in road-buiIding The plans ap- proved. the county shall apply to the board of control for the number of pris- oners required, and shall state the length of time they shall be reeded. The board shall, so far a s possible, give equal service to each of the counties. and shall determine which prisoners may be assigned to such work The warden is to provide suitable and moveable quarters. which shall be built. where possible. by convict labor The cOnvicts shall remain under direct control of the warden. their work. how ever. being under the supervision of the road bureau.
 In Iowa, the board of control of the state institutions, with the advice of the warden of any penal institution may permit able bodied male prisoners to work on the roads. The law speci- ficallY states such labor shall not be leased to contractors A prisoner Op- posed to such work. or whose charac- ter and disposition make it probable that he would attempt escape or be un- ruly, is not to be worked on the high ways. Although the prisoners are un- der the Jurisdiction of the warden while building or repairing roads. their work is supervised by the state highway commissioner. Prisoners employed on the highways of Iowa receive such part of the ir earnings, above the cost of their keep. as the board deems equit- able the earnings either being funded or given to their dependent families
 Before Iowa passed her present pris- on labor laws. George W. Cosson. at tOrney general of Iowa, and member of the national committee on prison labor. made a thorough investigation of the prisons of his own and other states. and strongly denounced the contract system, under which the prisoners were employed up to that time. MT. Cossor drew up the road bill. and is of the opinion it will do much to drive the contract system out of the state