The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1914-04-03

method - feasible. beneficial and highly
prsrtieal- A discussion of the merits of
this us thoi "f handling convirts might
be continued nc grestrr length; hut hr-
lieve you are more vitality interested in
what has tsen setually done in our own
STATE.
Is has hs~n my privilege IN have charge
OF this work i'm McDowell county. About
four years ago We legan u work the
prisoners on the roads of that county.
We started with ten men and single
guard AT each term of the criminal
court we added TO this number. At the
prtsent time We are working one hunire~i
and thirty men with an average of 80
working days per month The first year
the work was begun We had some diff
Guilty This was principally due to the
fact that we did not eet the proper sup
port from the officials Of the county Jail.
At that time all prisoners were kent i'm
the county Jail, but now that we sre keep
ing them in temporary jails and under
the direct charge Of the road department.
We are getting the rr~ults W. expected.
The men prefer the temporary jails ~
they claim they arr better fed. clotl,esl
and looked after than when under the di-
rect care Of the county Jail officials.
We have county doctors who visits the
different camps almost daily. In this
way the h-slth Of the prisoners j. care
fully looked after and the sanitary con-
nitions are cautiously guarded. The fore
men and guards are under stri t orders to
treat the prisoners with the consideration
and respect due human beings, AMI are
instructed To never overlook the fart :.asf.
while thes- men have been unfortunate
thay are human and can be helped %
higher standards of living. We believe
the maintaining of this idea is necessary
I'm making the work a success. We get
an equal amount Of work from these men
- from the men We hire. Ia fact about
seventy-ive per cent Of our prisoners arr
better men physically than those We en-
ploy direct To more securely guard the
more criminally inclined, We have a steel
ems are shsckled while at work. This j.
practically made necs-safy because of the
mountainous country in which We work
and which makes easy escape more read
lily accomplished.
About - men are worked at earh camp.
Three men have been found sufficieI for
guarding purposes. and each gang il un-
der the supervision Of competent con-
struction foreman One night guard l.
all that has been found necessary, and ne
y requissd ts-ssuph- tins. chick every
thirty Minutes We have hal quite .
number OF men to escape, but nearly ali
of them have been captured, and Judge
Strother, criminal Judge of Mcdowell
county, has in each case impose,i double
sentence.
As We have already stated, We did not
at first receive the corporation of the
officials - We should; hut now We have
the hearty support Of the County Court.
Criminal Judge. Sheriff, Prosecuting At
torney, and the public in general. Thi~
cooperation on the part of the public
officials believe To he nee-sary To the
successful working Of the plan.
Perhaps the most encouraging feature
OF the system IL that these better surround
ings and humane treatment have re-
generating effect upon the prisoners.
They are better morally, mentally AMI
physically than when they bs,gan their
sentences. A feature Of additional service
and increased efficiency has been the in
PRODUCTION ~ the steam shovel i'm the work
Of excavating. We have great faith
the efficiency Of the steam shovel where IL
is practical to Use IT,
About seventy-five Tcr cent. of our
prisoners are colored. We u-e the merit
system by making TRUSTEES Of all men who
have ~ merited our confidence.
To date We have graded y miles Of
road, the majority of whirh has Ieen cut
through rock anil otherwise rough $50
tons. We have built 10 miles Of maccadam
road, and have repaired so miles. IL
has cost us on an average of 81 cents J.er
cubic yard for grade work, whereas IL w.
had employed hired labor il would have
cost NJ ~ cents per cubic yard.
In conclusion permit me to add that
while the working Of prisoners on our
highways y a most economical and corn
mercially profitable plan for any STATE O..
adopt, far above this and any T-cuniary
consideration y the high moral and phys
ical efIect the sy-tern has in helping make
rnen Of tho-e of our citizens who through
a les- vbole-oDe medinm may have Ie-
come habitusi criminals.