The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1915-04-09
SOME CONVICT
LABOR Evils
Contract SyS en- Is Wrong en-.
Su1vGrSiVa OF DiSCi pine.
BY COILS LOVELY, Vice President
Coos and Shoe Workers. Union.


men raise to prison labor is not
E because prisoners are employ
ed but because Of the method
of their employment. The hope Of the
free laboring men and Of fair industry
Is to find a way of employing prisoners
with the least possible competition with
the free laborcr If properly admins
tered | believe that the state used Sys.
tenn approaches most nearly this ideal.
There are four systems of employ
ment generally in vogue in the prisons
of the United StateS-namely. the
lease, the contract, the piece price plan
and the state account. all of which are
vicious from competitive point of
view as well as from their lack of re
formatory features.
The contract system is particularly
vicious because:
First. The object of the law is to re
form the convict, while the object of
the contractor is to make money from
his labor without regard to his reform
Second.-It is destructive of prison
discipline from the fact that the pris-
oncrs are for eight to ten hours daE
under the control of the contractor or
his agent who are in no wise respon
sible for their reformation.
Third.-It renders impossible diver
sity Of employment suited to the diff
ferent capacities Of the prisoners and
the conditions necessary to their moral
training.
Fourth.-It is the intention of the
law and to the best interest Of society
that the terms Of the best conducted
prisoners should be shortened. 1t is to
the interest of the contractors to keep
them longer In prison.
Fifth.-It makes impossible any prop
err classification and separation Of pris
oners and places in daily contact tn"
comparatively innocent or accidental
criminal with the most hardened and
depraved.
Sixth. - Manufacturers engaged in
similar industries and employing free
labor cannot possibly compete with
manufacturers having the advantage of
prison contract, the labor cost of
its real value. in addition to the advan-
tage Of free rent, power and light
In addition to the most vicious and
unfair competition resulting from the
contract system the most cruel fortunes
are practiced in nearly all prisons
where the contract system is in opera
ton. such as the whipping post. the
paddle, the water cure, hanging by the
wrists and many other methods equally
cruel, administered for no reason eX-
cept that the prisoner has failed to
satisfy the contractor in the amount of
work performed.
Not only is reform impossible under
such treatment but the prisoner is
bound to become criminally inclined.
Life does not stand still, even in prison.
The man who grows no better must
steadily grow worse, and SO our pris-
Ons are becoming cOntirmatOries ill
stead of reformatories as originally in
tended
Prisoners should be employed with a
view to their reform regardless of any
profit that may accrue from their labor.
AS far as practicable they should be
employed at outdoor labor, such as
farm labor. road material and road
building, and no institution supported
wholly or partially by the state should
be allowed to purchase n single article
in the open market that can be supplied
by the prisons.
This would give employment to di-
versified prison industries and occupa-
lions and fit the prisoners to procure
and perform lucrative labor at the ex-
piration of their prison terms. 1t would
fit them to earn a living by an honest
trade instead of gaining one by one or
another of the various forms of crime
which their industrial inability and
consequent cheap labor value lead them
to embrace. Hence the value Of diver
sified prison industries and occupations
conducted under the most improved
methods and with up to date machin-
cry and competent instructors, who
should insist upon quality rather than
quantity. The value of their labor
should be based upon the prevailing
rate of wages in industries manufac
turing similar goods in the state. All
Of the earnings of n prisoner above the
cost OF his keep should be turned over
to those dependent upon him at the
time OF his incarceration or kept In
trust and turned over to himself at the