Not Stripes, But Uniforms.—The fourth State Legislature of Oklahoma provides modestly colored jeans—gray jeans for the regulars, brown jeans for trusties in the State Penitentiary. The “ring-tailed” stripes are still found in the store rooms of the penitentiary, but they are used only as a means of punishment, to be worn only by prisoners who have escaped and been returned after capture. Suits of novelty goods, various colors, but neat, though cheap, business cuts, are provided when prisoners have served their terms.
“Dope” in Magazines.—A prisoner recently released from Stillwater Prison, Minnesota, has been arrested by post office inspectors in New York.
According to the inspectors, Chessman has been sending sulphate of morphine to prisoners in the Stillwater Prison for several weeks, inclosed in magazines. Single copies of a current periodical often contained as much as 30 grains of the “dope”, it is alleged, and the inmates professed an amazing fondness for reading.
The warden became suspicious when magazines not ordinarily read by criminals began to pour in by every mail, and directed that some of the packages be opened. It was found that the pages were literally covered with “dope”, which had been carefully distributed between the leaves. One of the magazines was forwarded to the government chemist for analysis and it was discovered that 28 grains of sulphate of morphine had been secreted in the package.
Prisoners’ Wages in Iowa.—Under date of February 6th the Des Moines Register states that the method of paying prisoners for their work within the State Prison walls has been tried long enough to prove the venture successful. The corps of salary-earning convicts are those employed on the new cell house, including electricians, wirers, plumbers, plasterers, steam fitters, mechanics and iron workers. Just now the working force is somewhat reduced, though the weekly payroll amounts to $69.
An effort is on foot to secure a wage allowance for the men employed upon the construction of a new reservoir, to be followed by compensation to prisoners for all work on strictly prison industries. As an ultimate possibility in this direction is the plan to put all prisoners upon a salary, charging them for their care and living, with opportunity given for earnings.
At the same time, throughout the city of Fort Madison is being circulated a petition to Governor Clarke to halt the employment of prisoners to do laboring work about the city. Such work as papering, plastering, painting and carpet cleaning is specifically mentioned. The petition has nearly a thousand signers.