Michigan is farming 4000 acres, but still found sufficient prison labor to help the farmers with their harvest last year. Wisconsin has about 100 prison labor farmers and is of the opinion that their work is as productive as free labor.
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.