Evening star., 1924-09-13

EARLY to bed, early to rise makes
a man. healthy. wealthy and wise.
The strict discipline of prison life
has improved the health of many in
mates and their sojourn behind walls
has made many of them wise.
But it was not until a prison saw
ings fund was started in the Mary
land Penitentiary that any prisoner
commenced to amass wealth. This
fund was started little more than
a year ago. At the end of the first
fiscal year $50 prisoners had more
than $27 900 to their credit in savings
banks Of Baltimore.
AS large as this amount seems.
Miss Frances Sweezey social worker
at the penitentiary. believes it should
be larger. With no place to go after
the days work is done, Miss SweeZey
believes prisoners who earned more
than $4,000 in the last year could
have saved a greater percentage.
Contract Labor system.
Before explaining the saving sys-
ten which Miss SweeZey has worked
out it must be understood the Mary
land Penitentiary is one where con-
tract labor is in vogue. Besides earn.
ing money. the prisoners earn the
cost of their confinement.
are a variety of shops-a shoe. shop.
clothing shop. printing shop and a
foundry. Each of these shops or
miniature factories is owned by
firm of business men. The labor is
supplied by the penitentiary.
Pay ~ q Day.
The contractor agree to pay the
institution 81 day for each man
supplied them. Each morning a
specified task is allotted to each man.
AS soon as he finishes this task he
may stop work or he may continue
and receive a piecework rate for him
self for this additional work.
. In this manner for the last fiscal
year the prisoners earned $231.532.S6
for the institution, which was $61,-
1927 more than the cost of main
tenance, exclusive of improvements
and repairs. For thems elves the pris-.
oners earned $139,2SS.47. During the
year the daily average roll of inmates
was 92S.63.
When Miss Sweeney was appointed
social worker at the institution about
eighteen months ago she found many
prisoners were sending money each
month to friends to be placed in bank.
In several cases these friends were
taking advantage of the prisoners
forced confinement and the money
never saw the inside of a bank
Another condition which led Miss
Sweeney to organize savings system
was the helplessness of man after
he is released. Miss Sweeney found
the stigma of the prison clung to the
man and impeded his attempts to re-
establish himself in the world.
Needs When Released.
without money for his immediate
needs, man who had determined to
live honorably and win back his self
respect was exposed, to an occasion OF
crime to get food to eat and place
to sleep. Without funds he was un-.
able to leave the city where his crime
was committed and start anew among
strangers, Miss SweeZey learned.
AS her first step in organizing the
system. Miss Sweeney talked per-
sonally with each prisoner. She ex-
planned to them her purpose and
asked them whether they desired to
make a. monthly deposit in a savings
bank. Her overtures- at first were
looked on with suspicion, but a rev
of the more credulous consented 70
the plan. Miss Sweeney then called
on the president of a Baltimore bank
and outlined to him her plan. He
OneroQ the CO-OpSTdtiOh VI Ills AiiSN-
tuition.
Each Has Own BankbOOk.
When the first prisoners were ready
to make a deposit, Miss Sweeney gave
them one of the regular. application
cards of the bank. After this was
filled out, with deposit slip. MISS
Sweezey took the money to the bank
and received a handbook for each
man in his own name.
Each man now keeps his own bank
book in his cell. When he. desires
to make deposit, he fills out two
forms. One for the bank, which Is
the regular deposit slip, and the other
an order on the cashier at the insti-
tuition, directing that Miss Sweeney
be given the sum noted for deposit
in the bank.
Withdrawals of all OF any part CT
the savings can be made hy the inmate