The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1915-12-24
WORKING CONVICTS ON
THE public ROADS.
INTERVIEW WITH CHAIRMAN OF
PRISON coMMls ssIoN ON
THIS SUBJECT.


the convict labor amendment is Prop
erly put into execution by the State
Government, in the npli.ion If fJnni.l
Il. O'Sullivan, chairman of the Prison
Commission, in statement on this
subject to-day, in which he declares he
voices only his personal opinion He
said in part:
With the exception of the tax and
debt problem, the most important uues-
ton that confronts Gov. Stanley and
the General Assembly is the matter of
convict labor.
THE members of the Legislature, no
matter how earnest or intelligent, will
not be prepared to pass an adequate
law until they have acquainted them
selves with the experience of other
States. The success of road building
with convict labor must be determined
by the needs of the particular locality,
its ability to finance the work, the ma
terial that the various counties are
able to supply and the climatic condi-
tions. which, after ALL may be the de-
termining factor. In Georgia, for in
stance, where an admirable system of
roads is being built with convict laboE
the prisoners work every day in the
year, while in Kentucky the season for
outdoor work would not exceed nine
months. What Is going to be done
with the men during this period?
Manufacturing Suaaested.
"Some will saw ret,,rn tbam 70 ~.
prisons and nut tben to worL n,opine
various articias for S+ota 90 rha. ;s
n good suggestion ~ q can he worked
out practicallv n the state tbns soes
into the uannf, cturine husi,ass :, Iii,
have to provide machinery and expert
foreman to teach the men the particu-
lar trade they must learn before their
work VIII be of value. 1t will be ask
ed how the convict can become an ex-
pert mechanic In three months, after
spending nine months OF the year
quarrying rock or working on the
roadsE That Is question the Legis-
iature ana the new Prison Commits
sioners must answer.
IL Is agreed that only certain per-
centage OF the convicts can be trusted
In prison camps and on public roads
without being worked in chains. In
ed In the open; in other States the
men are carefully slected by the war
dens, ana, even then. many OF them
escape. Kentucky can only learn by
OFTEN life-men can be trust
ed outside the walls without guards
when petty thief, or housebreaker,
could not be trusted at all. The per-
sonal equation must be considered in
dealing with convicts. Those guilty Of
the worst crimes frequently have a
hlgh sense OF humor.
Other States Visited.
.oT,yo ware ,,o tho p,,.o,, ca,,,,
sionars visited fha S,a,as 20 can"-,a
North Carolina vir,inia a,d W. ,7i,. 80
pinia and made n ,bnrn,,s,t, st,,d,, af,h
convict an tbe road nrohIan, as a. 80 80
beinp worked o,,t IN thnsa cta,os W.
have gathered f,,I infornatio,, 80, au
the other states where tbe contrant
labor system in prisons has been abol-
Ished. These facts are too voluminous
to be embodied in this brief statement,
but we will be glad to cooperate with
Gov. Stanley and the coming General
Assembly in any plans they may have
W. "iiuiiS ihIo lhe laws VI lHe State
the mandate of the Constitution, and
Will furnish them with all the infor-
nation in our possession, together with
our individual views on convict labor
gained from more than three years ex-
perience.
Owing to the contracts now in force
there will be only few hundred men
who can be worked on the public roads
n 1916 and they will not be available
Until July or August. In the summer
'f 1917 all contracts for prison labor
will have expired save the Hoge- Mont
somery contract for the labor OF 400
prisoners. which will remain in force
until January, 1919. under a contract
made with the former prison popula-
ion, with the exception OF the 400 held
by the above contract, to be assigned
% road work. or within the prison walls |
articles for the State.
Must Devise Plan.
"The coming I.sp,s,ature ,n,s, aav,s.
, nIan thai s,,u 49, a,nra.,,o,a1',
800 prisoners profitably employed. The
Prison Commissioners derive their
,ower from the General Assembly and |