Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-09
PROBLEM OF PRISON LABOR

II anyone has yet discovered ways
whereby the inmates Of prisons may
be self-supporting and encouraged to
be self respecting, whereby they may
acquire skill in constructive voca-
lions that shall be helpful to them
when they regain their liberty, and
may not interfere with free labor any
more than were the prisoners them
selves free and employed in useful
work, such a discovery has not been
brought to public attention.
In our Maine prison harness and
sleighs have been made. but pre-
sumably not without some inter-
ference with free labor and with little
prospect of Increased demand: brooms
also, which in some degree, though
probably slight, have been in compe-
tition with the handiwork Of the
blind. The proposal to employ prison
labor in the construction Of highways,
which otherwise would not receive at
tent1on for the present, would seem to
interfere as little with free labor as
any plan. That however. would be
for only q part Of the year. Were it
possible-as it hardly seems to be
to employ the prison labor for clear
ing highways from snow. as other
wise would not be done, for build
ing windbreaks to protect sections
Of the road that are especially expos
ed to drifting SHOWS. protection
greatly needed and affording little
prospect Of being had right away the
plan would seem worthy Of COM
mendation. obviously. however,
there is limit to the employment of
prison labor at outside work. es-
pecially In cold weather. Even the
prison farms produce in competition
with free labor employed in agri-
culture under competitive conditions
already discouraging.
Prison labor is serious problem.
Prisoners should produce; there
should be profit in such production
profit to the prisoner and to the State
that restraints his liberty. The prob
lem has for many years undergone
discussion, and II we may judge from
recent discussion before a Congress
sional committee it is little II any
nearer to solution.
This discussion was at hearing
on measure that would, under GER
tain conditions, divest prison made
products Of their interstate character,
would prevent unloading in State
that passed laws prohibiting 1t.
The warden of the Vermont prison
declared that diversified industry was
impossible in small prison: the
president of the Wisconsin Board of
Prison Control said the contract
system is inherently wrong; the d.
rector Of Rhode Islands penal insti-
tutions declared that IS to 900 of the
prison income in that State is deriv-
ed from manufacturing done by
prisoners. An overall manufacturer
from Ohio said that prison-made
goods sold last year on the open
market amounted to more than fifty
million dollars; that under present
conditions a State may prevent
manufacturing in its own prisons but
has no way by which it may keep out
merchandise made in the prisons of
other States; that this condition Is
one of the greatest scourges of busi-
ness. Another witness told Of
hundred thousand dozen Of prison.
made work shirts being sold at auc-
ton and demoralizing the market,
that under the bill the prison man
agement would be compelled to find
proper ways for disposing Of its
merchandise.
II Congress might devise q method
whereby farmers, who cannot employ
labor because it is too high or
scarce. might obtain prison labor and
employ it probably. it would ae-
complish something worth while.
But as the peonage system is proven
inhumane, and as the cost of super
vision Of the prisoners at work would
be excessive. we may confidently ex-
pect little relief from Congress.
Manifestly there is a certain justice
in permitting a State, that properly
manages its own prison labor. the
authority for excluding the products
Of prisons in other States. This,
however, may not be expected to
solve the problem nor is. it probable
that it will contribute materially to