The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-06
at Sing Sing prison

he part Of the scheme have in mind
for the payment Of convicts for their
labor while they are prisoners" Mr..
Osborne went on earnestly. Prison
labor at present Is Lothing more or
less than slave labor. Centuries of that
sort Of labor proved its curse Few
people learn to love work 10y being
forced To ii. You are grating against
all thc grooves Of human nature when
you compel this sort OF toll.
Il would establish a system Of token
money, such as was tried out Satisfac-
torily in the Junior Republic. 1t il
not az al ChimeriCal 20 propose and IS
too practical 20 be pooh poohed |
would establish system of graded
tons. \ fair return for a days labor
would Ice fixed You see the idea?
The prisoner working receives his
token wages at the end Of the day or
the week. He can do as he pleases with
this sum of money. for that is exactly
what the token viii represent. II he
wishes 10 eat At the first grade table
he Will pay for Il. If he wishes to
be economical and save he may elect
to eat at the second or the third grade
table. II Will be arranged that even
AT the third or cheapest table the food
will Ice substantial and sufficient to the
degree that it would he out OF prison
at the best place obtalnable for the
money.
''The same way with sleeping ac-
commoda,ions. 1t is thought here that
the dormtory is better than the cell.
Very well, IL AN inmate wises To give
up more of his money for a better
place to sleep let him have that privi-
lege the same as in the outside world
We Will not make the lower priced
sleeping place so uninvitins that a
prisoner will feel himself forced To- spend
his money for the better quarters. The
cheapest spot To lie down viii be as
good as circumstances viii permit
"A sample routine day will he as
follows: \ prisoner at the end of the
day is handed his token money with
IL he can buy food or bed according
to the grades provided In the prison.
What he has left over he can save.
He might keep these savings in, his
cell, hut they might be stolen. Stolen?
Surely, and for that reason am con-
hdent that within two weeks after the
effect the prisoners themselves will be
clamorng for prison savings bank.
You can see what an immense boost to
habits of thrift such a bank will Ice.
There deposits may be regularly
made The bank will be run the same
as other institutions OF the outside
world. The prisoner will see what he
earns and where it goes, He can be
20
his tastes and his token poke tbook.
Accumulated savings? Legislation
| vii lbe required to perfect the trans
| formation of the token money into bona
fide money on the convict's leaving the
prison. The convict earns money for
the State by his labor while in prison.
The. state should not wish 10 make
money off a man who is In so deplorable
condition.
! Let the convcts days labor be
| fairly rated. Make him pay for his
| bed and board out OF IT while he Is
sequestercd from his fellow men. Let
the balance he his, for the state has
received return for hts labor. When
! his term Is ended let him have the bal
ance he has saved, But let him be the
/ sole disposer of the wages he earns.
! Treat the situation within the prison
the same as in the world without II
he doesn't work he won't receive III,
token money. 1t viii he his own fault
il he doesn't, The example Of mer
who do work and who do save win bt
there FOR him, The incentive To- thrift
t. the end that something viii he ac-
cumulated for him when j" ~ released
viii he strong one. have unlimited
faith IN the state prison token money
scheme and the State prison suvlng'
bank"
1t was impossible not to he impressed
with the feeling that the new warder