Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-16
PRISONERS MUST
WORK, SAYS REPORT
Dauphin County Put Into a District
For the Establishment of
State Farm

Dauphln county is placed in the
third district for the State farms for
misdemeanants by the report of the
penal laws commission presented to
the Legislature last night. With IL
are Berks, Bucks, Chester. Delaware,
Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh. Mont
gomery, Northampton and Schuylkill.
Cumberland, Adams, Franklin, Ful-
ton. Northumberland. Juniata, Milf
fin, Perry, Snyder, Union and York
are put into the fifth.
accommodation for the employ
ment of inmates of the penal tnstitu-
tions in manufacture of articles for
use in prisons and other State estab-
lishments the purchase of farm for
the Eastern Penitentiary in the Vicin-
ity of Philadelphia and the establish
ment of six district farms to be worked
by short term prisoners are contained
in the report. Four acts to carry the
recommendation into effect are sub
mitted. The commission was named
last year by Governor Tener and con-
sisted, CT E. NJ Abbott. Philadelphia;
DR.. Louis n. Robinson. Swarthmore;
Patrick Gilday, Clearfield; William ID.
Grimes, Pittsburgh Andrew Houri-
gan. Wilkes Barre; Robert j. McKen-
ty, warden of the Eastern Peniten-
don.
The commission presented a COM
prehensiVe report and recommended
that there be further study, stating
that it presented a report on work in
prisons in institutions and on farms,
but not on roads as it had not been
able in the time allowed TO find a
feasible plan for this tate.
The summary of recommendations
is as follows:
Employment of all inmates in the
two penitentiaries and the reforma-
tory instead of 80 per cent.
Creation of a prison labor commits
sion of nine. one to represent each of
the three penal institutions, one from
the Board of Charities and five citi-
zens to be named by the Governor at
81, 900 salary each and business
agent at $500 to have charge of the
whole administration of labor in the
penal institutions and the sales to
other institutions.
Purchase of a moderate sized farm
near Philadelphia for the Eastern
Penitentiary to be operated as is that
at the Western Penitentiary.
Authority for counties to employ
inmates in jails, warehouses; houses
of correction, etc, in production of
goods for use of county institutions or
inmates thereof.
Creation of six industrial farms, the
State to be divided into six districts,
Allegheny and Philadelphia counties
each to be one; employment of misde-
meanants and short term prisoners:
farms to be of 500 acres sites to be
selected by a commission of five and
boards of trustees of five to be named
to administer each: prisoners to be
housed on farms and to raise products
for their own use and use of institu-
tions and to manufacture road mate
rials, brick and tile for use of State
and municipalities; provision for
transfer of prisoners and an appropri-
alton of 100000 to buy sites and
erect buildings.
Permitting penal institutions to pay
prisoners from 10 to so cents a day,
rs per cent. to remain on credit or
to be paid to dependents upon pres
entation of proof. one-third of re-
mainder to be paid on release, one
third within six months and balance
at end of year from release. The pay
ment is to be based on conduct.