Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-12-04
SUGGEST HONOR
CONVICT SYSTEM
Highway Commissioner
Would Work Certain
Men Without Guard
He WANTS MORE MEN.
Laws Should Make it Less Difficult
to Secure Convicts from JaiIs of
Cities and Towns of State.

Richmond, Dec. A partial adop-
ton of the Colorado plan of working
convicts without prison stripes or
guard is recommended by State High
way commissioner Coleman in his ar
nual report submitted to the Cover
nor yesterday.
Commissioner Coleman, urges that
it he made less difficult to secure
prisoners from the jails of the State
fcr work on the public highways,
and suggests the following division OF
ali convicts and prisoners:
Long-term and dangerous men,
short term men trnstieS and paroled
men.
The Commissioner suggested thai
the long term and dangerous men be
dressed in stripes and worked in
stockades under guard in the lime
G etinding plant and on the State quar-
r;cs. and that short term men be
worked under guard on the roads,
while dressed in uniform Of blue.
The other two classes. under the
Commissioners plan, would not be
under guard or be dressed in stripe
or uniform. The TRUSTEES he would
have clothed in ordinary. Khaki and
used as enginemen, cooks, yardmen
sa,pd. 50. ortll in the convict road camai
.The fourth or paroled men class, ne
you'd draw from the class 8 anu
paroled for good behavior at some
time during the period of their SEN
tence These men he would have
dressed in ordinary clothing and as
signed as patrolmen on maintenance
OF roads.
The system of working certain class
OF convicts. distinguished clothing
end without guards over them has
j.een tried in Colorado and in one Of
t;yo other States and is reported to
have proved successful. The men arc
on their good behavior. and are treat
cd as ordinary laborers, rather thar
as convicts.
Commissioner Coleman recommends
further that there be change IN
the law, allowing greater discretion
in fixing the salaries of the engineers
employed, so that better men can be
secured; that the automobile tax be
p;aced in the maintenance fund and
distributed on the same basis as the
State money aid is now distributed t"
MI counties which have built either
improved roads or permanent bridges
but allowing counties in which no I'M
proved road work has been done to
rse the automobile fund to improve
roads until there is a maintepance
charge. the work to be done under the
supervision of Highway Department.
Il is also recommended that law
he enacted similar to that presented
to the last General Assembly by Sena-
Tor Fletcher, of Fauquier County. lie
would amend the laws applying to
the issuance of county and maglsterl~
al districts bond issues, so as to re-
ouire the boards of supervisors to lay
a lew of not less than three per cent
on all bond issues for the maintenance
cf the roads after construction, the
maintenance work to be done under
the supervision of the department.
In the past, roads have been con-
structed in many counties and dis
trict. only to be allowed to dislnte-
crate because of the lack Of provision
for their upkeep. The great waste IN
tais particular would be eliminated
by the passage of some such law as
recommended.
Commissioner Coleman's report
shows that 4O3 roads and ninety
bridges in ninety-siX counties have
been worked during the year by the
convict road forces. At the present
time the forces are at work IN thirty
counties, representing 1,lOO convlcts
and 500 jail prisoners. Applications.
are on file now from ) counties which
could be answered if it were made
easier to secure men from the various
;ails of the State.