State Use in Ohio.—Printing of all the blank forms used by the counties of Ohio is a venture upon which the State soon may embark as one of the features of the “state use” plan of employing the convicts in the Ohio Penitentiary. Under the law the State Board of Administration sells all products made in the institutions to counties and other political subdivisions who are compelled to make purchases from the State. The blank supply business has been a lucrative one for the dealers.
The Governors on Road Work by Prisoners.—Twenty-five governors have placed themselves on record as favoring the working of convicts in the construction and repair of highways, according to a compilation of the discussions of prison labor in their last messages to the legislature, recently issued by the national committee on prison labor.
Convict road work is advocated by the governors both because of the healthful nature of such work and owing to the fact that convicts who have been employed in this way can more readily find employment when released; while many of the governors also point out the benefit to the public from better roads secured at a minimum cost.
Governor Dunn, of Illinois states that humanitarian reasons underlie the employment in open air work or the sort wherein and whereby the convicts are restored to society with their manhood quickened instead of deadened or destroyed.
Governor Oddie, of Nevada, who was instrumental in securing the passage of the legislation which provides for convict road work in that State is enthusiastic as to the success of the plan.
“There is no question,” he maintains, “but that the passage of this law has had a wholesome effect on our prison system, and has been the means of giving a new start in life to a large proportion of the discharged and paroled men. About forty per cent. of the total number of our convicts have been performing good service under the honor system at the road camp.”
Governor Hanna, of North Dakota, Governor Cox, of Ohio, and Governor West, of Oregon, hold that out-door work should be a privilege to be earned by good conduct; Governor Mann, of Virginia, testifies to the efficiency of the convicts when employed on the roads and cites figures to prove the economy of such work, maintaining, however, that the present cost can be greatly reduced by placing the men on their honor and lessening the number of idle guards; while Governor McDonald, of New Mexico, and Governor Carey, of Wyoming, refer to the few attempts at escape that have been made by convicts practically unguarded.
Governor Hunt, of Arizona, is in favor of paying the convicts at least 25 cents a day for their services as the cost will be small compared to the actual benefit derived by the construction of splendid highways, while the benefit accruing to society will return the investment a thousand fold.
The consideration given to convict road work by the governors is an indication of the importance attached to the matter by the police throughout the country. The governors present many different view-points, but a careful study of their statements shows that road work when conducted on a basis fair to the convict and the State, will go far towards solving the convict labor problem and the problem of good roads.