The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy 1919 (New Series, No. 58)Pennsylvania Prison Society
History
The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy 1919 (New Series, No. 58)
Pennsylvania Prison Society
Charities -- Periodicals; Prisons -- Periodicals
New Hampshire objects to agricultural prison labor because it gives
the prisoners no winter employment, and continuous work is regarded
as desirable. Mississippi is meeting with good success on her State
controlled farms, but the law does not permit the use of prison labor
except at State institutions.
Massachusetts is utilizing prison labor on farms, to relieve the
scarcity of farm labor caused by the war, successfully employing about
100 for that purpose. They regard convict labor, properly directed, as
efficient as free labor.
Vermont believes that its present experience justifies a more extended
use of agricultural prison labor.
Kansas uses its prison labor mostly in prison coal mines, but is
diverting some of its convicts to help the farmers during the war. Six
hundred convicts are employed in Florida on State owned farms. They are
meeting with great success and their prison labor is in considerable
demand. Tennessee has a number of convicts employed in agricultural
labor. The men have gained in health and earned a profit for the State.
Connecticut uses her prison labor on roads and farms. They think it
is better and more efficient than available free farm labor, and the
farmers of the State are well satisfied with the results obtained.
Minnesota uses prison labor on roads, and is conducting State
agricultural farms with success. Nevada uses prison labor to harvest
crops on shares. They report the cost disappointing and think their
best results are obtained with agricultural prison labor on State
farms. Virginia uses its prison labor for grinding agricultural lime
for fertilizer. The State employs about 250 convicts on its own farm,
in agricultural work, and finds the work beneficial to the prisoner as
well as to the State.
Illinois is making a special effort to utilize its prison labor, not
only to relieve the scarcity of farm workers, but to help in all other
war industries. About 100 men have been paroled especially for farm
labor, and 350 are successfully employed in factories where equipment
for the government is being manufactured.
The great war has brought forth one outstanding fact in
criminology--no matter what his instincts may be in times of peace,
the convict is a patriot, according to his lights, in time of war, and
in all my investigations, covering practically every eastern, southern
and middle western State, I have not learned of a single prisoner who
violated a parole given him to engage in work that would help win the
war.
Iowa is operating nearly 3000 acres by agricultural prison labor, and
is making a wonderful success, not only from a financial viewpoint but
also in fitting the convicts to regain their place in society.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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