Arizona republican., 1915-08-10
METHODS AND COSTS OF ROAD WORK WITH THE HONOR
 CONVICT" SYSTEM
CBy F. G. Mitchell, Division Engineer)

CONViOl . Cm
 (By F. G. Twitcheli, Division Engineer)
 As the predominating interest, from the average standpoint, in the use of convict labor on public works lies i'll the efficiency of the labor, rather than it what Is generally termed the ''uplift" of the prisoner. these remarks will deal principally with the cost of doing work with ccnvicts under the "honor" sys- tenn. this being the term that custom has applied to the plan whereby pris- oners are placed in camps without guards. reliance being put upon their word that they will not run away, and that they will conduct themselves pro Perly-
 The figures presented are taken from the records of the camp known as Prison Road Camp No. l. This camp was organized in December. 1913, on a small basis, with the intention of us ing it for general repair work, and minor Improvements. When first put in the field it was made up of twenty nine men and eight teams, under the direction Of one foreman. Since that time it has expanded until it now has a force of fifty five men and twenty four teams. under the direction of three foremen. and is capable of handling and has handled. any class of road work.
 Acting upon the principle that if prisoner is worthy of being trusted he is worthy of being trusted to the fullest extent, the ordinary prison rules have not been enforced in this camp. The endeavor has been tor avoid as far as possible anything that would keep the man constantly conscious that he was prisoner. Responsibility for his ac tons has been placed upon himself I might say that he has been shown his feet, and to stand upon them.
 Carrying out this idea, the men are dressed in civilian clothes. and with two exceptions are not restricted any more than in a free labor camp. The first of these two exceptions is that there is a set hour for going to bed, and the second is that the men are not allowed 70 leave camp without permis- sien and then cnIy to the extent of one mile free range Under no circuTn- stances are they allowed to go to town. One guard. who acts as night watch man for the camp. is employed, whose principal duty, outside of this. is to look after the clothing and equipment of the men.
 The food furnished is on a par with that furnished in the best free labor camps. and better than that furnished in many. We have Leen criticized a great deal on this point. though I be- Iieve this criticism has been without proper reflection. The average idea is that any kind of food is good enough for d prisoner. but that idea is based upon altogether wrong premises. It is not a prisoner that is being fed, but a workman. and this is a fact that must never be lost sight Of. It is probably not necessary for me to remind you that a man poorly fed is a man who is discontented both in mind and body. whose work will reflect his state of being.
 For sleeping quarters tents are fur nished. which are heated in the winter time. Each man is furnished with a cot. mattress, sheets and blankets. We have been accused of pampering the men by supplying sheets. but you can readily see that this is a necessary procedure in the interests of cleanli- ness For this same reason one man is detailed as a Iaundryman. who takes care of all the clothing. An effort to have each man wash his own clothes did not prove successful.
 Taking up the matter of cost, which is of course of the first importance there is one point to which I wish to call your particular attention. The ag- gregate cost of road work is made up of many items, the most important of which are cost of labor cost of teams, cost of material and cost of superin- tendence. The cost of teams, material and superintendence is as great in a prison labor camp as it is in a free labor camp. leaving the cost of labor as the only item on which we can eff feet saving. At first glance this might be suppCsed to he very large. but when compared with the total cost of a piece of work 1t does not show mp to as great an extent as anticipated. To demon strate. ] will say tfat this camp under discussion, during the period from De- cember 15, 1918 to January 9, 1915, spent nearly s30,000 on the Globe Roosevelt highway, and of this amount S1O.477. or about one-third. was the cost of maintaining the prisoners. Of the balance. the maintenance of the teams took nearly 5000, paid labor
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