Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1916-01-07
PRISON FARM
SHOWS PROFIT
Experiment of Board of Prison
Commissioners Solves
Problem
MEANS SAVING TO TAXPAYERS
Interesting Statement Issued by War
den A. J. G. Wells, of the Kentucky
State ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Farm
Shows Profit of $4,s26.s1 During
Fourteen Months.

Frankfort, Ky.-(Special)- 1.-The ex-
pertinent of employing the prisoners Of
the state on the State Farm seems to
be a decided success. After a thor
ough trial of the plan of the Board OF
Prison Commissioners and Warden
Wells, there is net profit to the state
Of $4,S26.81 in fourteen months.
At the request of R. c. Terrell, Com
missioner of Roads, A J. G. Wells, War
den of the Kentucky State Reforma-
tory, has prepared statement cover
ing the period the plan has been in OPP
Grafton. Warden Wells covers his two
years experience with limited num-
Ger of prisoners on the State Farm
Mr. Wells said in part:
THE Legislature of 1914 authorized
by law the lease of farm, with an
option of purchase at the end of the
ease. In accordance Herewith the
Board OF Prison Commissioners, on
recommendation of myself, as Warden,
and with the approval of the Sinking
fund Commissioners, of which the
Governor is a member, leased the Mas
tin farm, consisting of 462 acres, about
/ y miles from the prison, and in the
| bend of the Kentucky river, just op.
posite the new capitol, for an annual
rental of $4,000 per year. The Legis
! ature adjourned on March 49, 1914,
negotiations were carried on with sew
eral landowners and a contract con
cluded, and prisoners were put to work
on the farm April TO- 1914. This, Of
course, was too late to get the best
| results the first year. This late
start, which was unavoidable, and tn
| severe drouth which followed, made il
| a trying test for the first year, but il
! spite Of both of these serious handi
cans, even this year made a most sat
| isfactory showing.
"A summary Of expenditures and re
/ ceipts of the farm, from April, 1914, t
/ July l, 1915. shows a net gain on JULY
| /, 1915, OF $4,S26S1, after charging the
| arm with all labor at the same av-
! erage price paid inside the prison
/ Moreover, this net gain does not take
,ntO account many crops that had no
| developed sufficiently for accurate in
| voice on said date. These crops ar,
IS follows: 10 acres OF tobacco, 2
acres Of late Irish potatoes, l acre o
sweet potatoes, 6 acres sugar cane,
| acres tuTnips, 2lz acres cabbage, 1:
acres beans, acres greens, q acre
cucumbers, ! acre carrots, 6 acre
| melons.
The season since July / has con
| .inued coed and the productst above
| 'amed have added very materially t
he balance above stated We have
nee July put up for use in tn.
rison 1900 gallon. caGaoS,ESans. to
'atoes, corn and 4 - cattIt
nd hogs are slaughtere4 the farm
nd sold to the prison at less price
an the packing houses furnish othe-
ate institutions similarly situated
he meats. yegeta5 les and other proc
its are served fresh, and are alto
ether more wholesome and palatabl,
IAN from the packers cold storage
he better health OF the prison poDu
alton resulting is within itself large
| asset
The farm, on account of its prox
unity to the prison and its splendi5
ISOLATION, is ideally located There ar,
n the farm inexhaustible lodges C
| limestone, and within a few feet of
railroad and the Kentucky river A
| rock crusher of sufficient capacity 2:
This point, operated by prison labor
could easily supply large demand fo1
road material throughout the state.
THE railroad and river facilities for
shipment should insure reasonable
transportation rates. In my opinion
| there is no place in the market which
! furnishes so many attractive features
as this o.e for farming on a small
scale, and for the production and trans
! Dortation of road material by the use
of prison labor
at might be interesting in this con-
| nection to state that out of 179 pris-
oners sent to the farm at different
tines, only 4 have escaped, and o.
| Them returned. These prisoners re
Qain at the farm at night, and, while
! they are under the direction and guarf
ii Capt. J. P. Schnorbus, they have
necessarily, many opportunities to es
cape, if they were so inclined | dc
not mean by this statement, however
to indicate that prisoners, indiscrim
| inately, can be trusted on the outside
We have attempted, as far as surround
ing circumstances would permit, to ex
ercise good judgment in their selec
ton for this work. My estimate is
that possibly rs per cent of the prison
population could be worked on the out
side in farming and the production OF
road material, with reasonable safety,
under proper, careful and humane d.
rection. A great deal will depend
upon the plan adopted and selection o.
the agent, or agents, who shall exc
cute the plan.
IF such venture is to be made BY
the state5a a bill should be carefully
darwin, after mature consultation WITH
those who have had actual and sue.
cessful experience in the handling of
| prisoners, and before the meeting of
the Legislature. No half-baked, hasti
| iy-considered legislation should BE-
passed in shis connection