The Trustees were promptly appointed by the Courts of the State. The Fourth district, organized in March with the election of Mr. George W. Deeds, of Westmoreland County, as president. This board has been actively engaged in inspecting proposed sites, a number of which have been offered, but no selection has, as yet, been made.
Another phase of prison labor that must be taken into full consideration in the establishment of industrial farms, is the attitude of the Courts in reference to the parole law now in effect. If the Judges believe that the ends of justice are best served by paroling convicts, rather than committing them to some institution, the necessary capacity of the proposed buildings would be materially affected. In most of the counties but little has been done toward a general use of the parole law, but in a few of them the Courts are evidently giving it a trial.
The parole law is regarded with especial favor in Washington County, where the Courts have at the present time, 672 prisoners under parole. Every one of this number is employed in the county and must report monthly to the parole officer, who is also the Court’s employment agent, and who places every paroled prisoner in a job suitable to his ability and inclination.
This might be called another phase of prison labor, as industry is one of the conditions of the parole, and the labor is done by the paroled prisoners for their own profit and advancement—with freedom to enjoy their homes and pursue their own inclinations after working hours. So far has the system been carried, that the Court House, once cleaned entirely by prison labor, is now necessarily cared for by a paid force of men outside the draft age. You may better understand why the Court is going to this apparent extreme, when you know that practically every industry in Washington County is engaged in war work, and that these paroled men are placed on farms, and in mines, mills and factories, where they are helping win the war, though only a small percentage of them are American citizens and very few are native born.
About 90 per cent. of these men are faithfully complying with all the conditions of their paroles, 95 per cent. are paying in monthly installments, the fine and costs imposed upon them by the Court, and less than five per cent. are proving themselves unworthy of the confidence reposed in them.
Clearfield County has 10 paroled prisoners; Clinton, 25; Indiana 40; Lycoming, 8; Lehigh, 104; Center, 6; McKean, 47; Butler, 35; and Somerset, 64. It is doubtful if the entire number in all the other counties in the State would equal the number paroled in Washington County.
Montgomery County has taken a unique step in the employment of prison labor and uses the 80 inmates of its county jail in knitting socks, on knitting machines, for the Red Cross. Many other counties employ their prisoners, in their jails, in useful occupations.
Agricultural prison labor has been tried out in many States with gratifying success. Down in Alabama there are 325 men at work on State farms, where they raised 2300 bushels of wheat last year, which is an excellent record for a section where wheat is not supposed to grow. Convicts down there are also worked in the Alabama coal mines, and are producing 4500 tons of coal daily. Their farm prison labor is not satisfactory, but in the mines it is pronounced superior to free labor.
Nebraska is using agricultural prison labor in a small way outside State institutions and is meeting with splendid success. Maryland is having the same experience with about 75 convicts who are helping to relieve the farm labor shortage. Georgia’s male convicts are employed on the public roads, and the women prisoners are now engaged in light farm work.