M. G. Brumbaugh.”
The wardens were first asked to relate their experience with regard to the recent law allowing the wardens or superintendents of prisons to release the inmates for work on land belonging to the county or state.
Warden George W. Allen, of Media, being called upon, told the Conference that he had been employing from seven to fourteen men on the county farm since early in the spring, even before the Act had received executive sanction. At his request Judge Isaac Johnson had, as privileged under the law granting parole to county prisoners, paroled certain selected inmates for this purpose. None of the prisoners had violated their parole nor attempted to escape. They were taken in a van every morning to their work with one guard, and had worked faithfully and with pleasure. They had cultivated about 20 acres of land. The entire cost of the venture was about $1100.00, a sum which the results had fully justified. The expense had been equally shared with the Poor Directors and also the proceeds. They had raised cabbage, soup beans, lima beans, carrots, turnips, potatoes, beets, tomatoes and other produce. What was not used at once by the prisoners was dried, canned or stored for winter use. No wages was paid to the men. The result had been satisfactory to all parties concerned.
Dr. J. K. Weaver, Prison Inspector, of Norristown, informed the assembly that nineteen men had been sent to the Poor Farm, whose officials had taken charge of them and had provided them with food and lodging. There had been no difficulty whatever in maintaining discipline. The men had worked well and with enjoyment. A few privileges were allowed, such as swimming in the river when the day’s work was done, and no one had attempted to escape. They were paid 60c. a day for their work, payable at the time of their release. One man earned $52.80.
Warden Lemuel Roberts, of the Norristown Prison, informed the meeting that this employment of prisoners in Montgomery County had been initiated by presenting a petition to the Court to parole a few selected men to work on this Farm. The Court consented to parole three men for this purpose, and the experiment was so completely successful that the number thus paroled was gradually increased to nineteen. He was convinced that the payment of 60c. per day had served a double purpose in giving the men an incentive and a reward for good conduct and also in enabling them to go forth with a little cash to pay their expenses while searching for further employment. Without money and without friends, very often released convicts resort to crime for their maintenance.
Warden John F. Clower, of West Chester, stated that the County Home had refused to employ prisoners for the reason that they had already an abundant supply of labor from their own inmates. They had bought from the Farm supplies of vegetables at a lower rate than in the open market. For winter use they had canned 400 jars of tomatoes and a large quantity of sauerkraut.
Five of the inmates had been paroled to neighboring farmers, for whose labor the prison had received $25.00 per month, the prisoner receiving no large share. In this prison the men are almost all employed constantly at work in making carpets, caning chairs and weaving cloth for their clothing. In 1917 they had sold products amounting to $5,387. A small allowance, about 19c. weekly, is paid to the prisoners.
Mr. Thomas J. Fretz, an Inspector of Lehigh County, stated that a number of prisoners had been paroled directly to farmers. It was stipulated that the men should receive the prevailing customary wage for this work and that this sum should be paid to the families of the paroled men, or given to them on their discharge. In some instances wages sufficient to pay certain costs had been deducted from the amount paid to the prisoner.
Mr. Edward Taenzer, Inspector of Berks County, informed the meeting that this season they had employed prisoners on their County Farm, and that the experiment had been a decided success from every point of view. Two years ago an effort had been made to employ the prisoners on this land, and this proposition had been heartily approved by the Inspectors, the County Commissioners, the Directors of the Poor and the local press. The Solicitors of the Boards, however, held that such action was illegal, admitting that work on roads was the only employment allowed to prisoners except behind the bars. Since the beginning of the great war Mr. Taenzer and others renewed their efforts to find employment for the prisoners on farms, meeting with formidable opposition, but since the legal bar was removed by recent legislation the prisoners have been hard at work, giving satisfaction to all concerned. The selected men are taken by conveyance to the Farm and work for eight hours daily. They have produced from four to five hundred bushels of potatoes and a like proportion of other vegetables. Just now they are working on the drainage project. The Poor Directors provide the midday meal, and it is expected that hereafter they may provide for the necessary supervision. The men receive no pay for their labor, but esteem it a great privilege thus to be employed.
Secretary Votaw stated that the consensus of opinion was evidently favorable to the employment of county prisoners on farms as far as possible. He invited Agent McGarry, of the State Board of Charities, to comment on the attitude of this Board on this subject. Mr. McGarry said that the Board had for many years advocated such employment and that the emergency created by the war had made such legislation possible.