Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-20
COLEMAN TELLS HOW TO
USE c0NV|CTs ON ROADS
ate Highway Commissioners OF Vir.
sinia Relates Experiences
OF Nine Years.
FoNvICrs DIVIDED IN CLASSES
hose in Class I Should BE Dressed
III Stripes and Worked Under
Guard; Others, as TRUSTEES, Should
Wear Khaki aud Not he Guarded.

Wear Khaki aud Not he Guarded.
writing on the subject. "Efow TO Use
prrtcta on Roads" George T.. Cole
an. state Highway Commissioner OF
lrSinia, says:
Naturally what Is done to improve
70 condition of "A convict as prisoner
i'll make for the Improvement Of the
'isoner az a citizen. We have to tenn
n our punishment of. and our mcr-
cs to. him with justice. In execut-
= the law. II is our duty to use our
most cndcavor to return him TO So
city better able To cope with the con-
tons which VIII confront him when
regains his freedom. After nine
.ars Of experience ! believe that the
button OF the prison question--cer-
inly in Nircinia-is TO use the men
the construct ION and maintenance Of
II roads. In road work there is lit
g or no competition with free la
~ Tie work and the healthy out
door life tend 10 build him up physi-
Oily. Training him as an expert in
tndling road-buildinr mad 6nery
aces him I'm a position to cHn an
,ncSt living after his confinement.
lac work on which he is engaged i.
&c OF pressing need 10 the public, and
Gates In the worker kind OF pride
his own usefulness.
The prison population may be d.
ded into four classes: % long-term
I'd dangerous men; 90 short-term
nvicts and Jail mon; 90 TRUSTEES.
rth convicts and Jail prisoners; -
aroled men
Class 1 men should be dressed in
ripcs and worked under guard In
ockades In State stone quarries or
ravel pits located on railways serv-
z district where road construction
in progress. These convict
|iarries should furnish stone TO the
'un'ics for road purposes a. cost. TO
cure An economical distribution of
is material. very low transportation
ties arc necessary: In Virginia we
'vc always found the railway com
in!cs ready 10 cooperate with the
ghway department in it's work. for
~ realize that the highways arc the
cdcrs % tho railways, and that the
Hvelopmcnt OF tho two goes hand In
and.
class . men should have som. dis
nctiv- dress mot striped such as
lie or brown These men should be
Stributed 10 the various State road
amps and worked under guard In the
instruction OF county or district
,aIs. A small daily sum should he
I'D 10 them by the county, one -half
3,ch month and the other half re-
incd and given 10 them on the com
ction OF their sentence. TO insure
% ..i IN, i,y.. y.,hc
ascd
class . men. the TRUSTEES, should wear
binary KHAKI suits and be worked
Thou; guards. either In camps com
sod entirely OF TRUSTEES or as drivers.
oks cnSiucmcn. machine operators
concrete workers in other road
nps They should be paid little
orc than the class . men. ana their
y should he graded according 10 the
aractcr OF thc work they perform.
hey should DO paid IN the same man
~ that the class . men are paid.
d class men should wear ordinary
othing and ne used rs natrolmen or
gang. on tho maintenance OF roads
lili under State supervision They
Iould be furnished with proper quar-
IS and be paid monthly salary by
he county in which they are working.
arolcd men under this system are
ado a par, of tho state and county
Dor road force, the only special
AZURE about them heinE that they
ust report monthly 20 some general
rad and be governed by the States
nrolc laws.
Many prisoners are now being trained
road construction, and II follows
nat they can use the knowledge thus
,tHncd in the maintenance OF roads.
Inc state thus not only gains the bene-
OF their work during their terms,
nj also trains them for useful service
hen released There are n number
instances where prisoners who
orkcd on roads have been employed
V contractors as free laborers. by
rmers. who watched them while en-
sced on the rood work, and by county
authorities.
The success or failure 81 convict
J. Dor on road work depends on the
AN in charge. Bui with hrm man.
no keeps his department out OF poll
cs. this procedure insures the i'm
Pavement OF both the criminal classes
Ind the roads.
q .