Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1925-07-10
Prison Labor and Private Pr0ltf

There is atheory accepted By most
people that convict labor Is inefl-
cient and has but low producing ca
pacity, but recent federal statistics
disprove it. Abridged reports on con
Wet labor for 1928 published in the
April number Of the Monthly Labor
Review Of the Bureau Of Statistics,
Washington. d. G. gives some astound-
ing figures applying to about 5000,
very small percentage Of the prison
ers employed in productive labor for
private profit. These 1900 eonvIcts
employed under the contract" apIeee
price" and public account systems, Ell
Of which are merely different names
for the same sort Of convict labor ex.
ploitation, in 1923 produced goods
which sold in the open market for
$20, 900. The states received for the
labor Of the convicts producing the
goods s3,O00,e0o. The average pro-
dnetion Of the convicts was about $12.-
so per day, and the states were paid
about 81 per day for their labor The
actual cost Of maintenance and guard
ing these prisoners was in most cases
in excess of the price received for the
labor, with the overhead" cost Of pro-
duction thrown in for good measure.
Three systems of convict labor ex-
ploitation are used in the figures just
quoted, IS some under each are in-
cluded in the report Of the United
States. The contract" system Is IN
use in Kentucky, Alabama, Maryland,
West Virginia, Wisconsin, Delaware,
Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine and
New Jersey. Under the Contract
system the state sells the labor Of the
c0nvicts to the contractor at so much
per day per prisoner. The contract
system Is the outgrowth Of the old
'leasing system largely discarded
now because of public opposition, and
it is perhaps the ideal system from
the contractors point Of view, as he
is in complete control of the prison
ers and can force them to produce to
the last atom Of endurance. Next to
the old lease" system it is the best
because the prisoners can be exploit
ed more efficiently by corrupt politi-
clans, and the "divvyp is greater than
any other.
Under the 'piece price" system the
contractor pays the state an agreed
price for each piece or article made
by the prisoners. The contractor fur
nished his own raw materials, super
vises the work and dominates the
punishments. This system is in use
in Connecticut, Wyoming, Tennessee,
Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Wisconsin,
Vermont, Indiana, Nebraska and Mas
sachusetts. IN Connecticut the Reli-
ance Mfg. Co. pays the state from
525kc to 6Oc per dozen for work shirts
made by the prisoners in the state
penitentiary. The price paid in un-
loa factory for the same grade Of work
Is from $500 to $500 per dozen, and
the comparison IL about the same
wherever this method Of convict labor
is used. The effect Of
such competition on free labor and
legitimate manufacturers is very
plain. The 'piece price, system is on
" very thin disguise for the "con-
tract" system, the opportunities for
political corruption are greater, and
it provides more serious competition
for free labor.
With the public account" system
the state engages in manufacturing on
its own account, buying the raw ma
terials, manufacturing and putting the
goods on the market. The state may
sell it's products direct or through an
agent, and it is as this agent that
the prison labor contractor flourish
es The "public account" system is
supposed to operate for the benefit Of
the taxpayers, the state and the con-