THE FINANCIAL ARGUMENT FOR A COUNTY PRISON FARM.

It will be generally granted that useful employment in the open air will be beneficial, but let us also consider the financial side of the proposition. It will be remembered that the General Assembly of 1917 passed a bill providing for the establishment of nine Industrial Farms, to which convicts usually sent to the county jails may be sent for discipline and employment. I am indebted to Mr. Harry J. Campbell, of Washington, Pa., for some statistics from nine counties in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth, constituting one of the Districts in which an Industrial Prison was to be located. In order to determine whether such a Prison Farm would be remunerative, Mr. Campbell collected the statistics from these nine counties which afford fairly conclusive proof of the economy of the proposition.

These nine counties in 1917 sent:—

179	prisoners	to	the	Allegheny Co. Workhouse	at	a	cost	of	$20,869
532	“	“	“	Western Penitentiary	“	“	“	“	102,401
313	“	“	“	Morganza (Boys & Girls)	“	“	“	“	60,267
122	“	“	“	Huntingdon Reformatory	“	“	“	“	13,742
409	“	“	“	County Prison	“	“	“	“	81,381
——									————
1555	“	“	“	various prisons at a total cost of					$278,660

If a Prison Farm were established, they would send none to the Allegheny County Workhouse.

It is estimated they would send to this farm one-fourth of those sent to the Penitentiary.

They would send to the Farm one-tenth of those sent to Morganza.

Likewise, one-third of the number sent to the Reformatory (some have estimated the number to be one-half).

The number of prisoners held for trial at the County Jail varies from one-tenth to one-half of the whole number imprisoned. However, we will estimate those convicted at one-half of the number. Hence, to this Penal Agricultural Institution a minimum number of 587 may be sent, according to the last available statistics.

The funds available for such Institution may be computed as follows:—

Money heretofore paid to the Allegheny County Workhouse	$20,869
One-fourth the cost of prisoners at the Western Penitentiary	25,600
One-tenth the cost of prisoners at Morganza	6,026
One-third the cost of prisoners at Huntingdon Reformatory	4,580
At the County prisons there are certain overhead expenses which must be taken into account. Estimating that one-half the number in the County Jails would be removed to the District Farm, and that the cost of maintenance amounts to 50c daily for each prisoner, the saving would amount to	30,782
	———
Total estimated sum available for the District Farm in one year from nine counties	$87,857
Let us be entirely fair in our estimate. The 587 prisoners are expected to earn a large part of their maintenance; but should we estimate the net cost of maintenance at 25c daily per prisoner, the cost amounts to	53,563
	———
Balance	$34,294

This balance would go far toward meeting the expense of purchasing and stocking the farm and providing the temporary buildings which may be constructed by the prisoners themselves. The saving to these counties in two or three years would suffice to purchase and equip the plant, and with efficient management, the Penal Farm ought soon to be self-supporting—a result not only satisfactory to taxpayers but, what is far more important, in the highest degree beneficial to the delinquent in whose restoration the community is vitally interested.

These facts have been gleaned from a study of nine counties, but it must be remembered that the bill now before the General Assembly provides for the establishment of such an Institution by almost double the number of counties, hence it is apparent that within two or three years the entire expense of the farm and its equipment will be returned to the managers and with self-support practically assured, the future expense of caring for such delinquents will be reduced to a minimum or will entirely vanish.

A. V. H.