Convicts to Build Road.—“The State of Utah,” according to a statement of Major M. P. Hackett, of Ogden, “is going to build an improved highway, 500 miles in length, stretching clear across Utah to Idaho at one end, and to the Arizona boundary at the other. The road is to be built entirely with convict labor, in accordance with a late law authorizing such use of the felons.
“But there is a humane side to the enterprise, that may well be copied by other states. For every day’s work performed by the men each will have one day subtracted from his sentence. To a convict who is in for a long time this deduction is of big importance and it will be a great inducement for them to toil cheerfully and to the best of their ability.”
A Report From Texas Prisons.—A statement has been recently made by Ben. E. Cabell, chairman of the board of prison commissioners of Texas, that at this time Texas has between 600 and 700 prisoners at Huntsville and Rusk within the walls, and about 1,100 on her own state farms. About 1,000 are on share farms, where the state supplies the labor and gets part of the crop.
“At the beginning of the year about 800 convicts were being worked on farms and railroads. Within the last thirty days the railroad contracts have expired and have not been renewed. Some of the men were moved within the walls and others sent to the farms owned by the state. The present commissioners are in thorough harmony with Gov. Colquitt, who made it known that he wanted the contract and share farm system abolished as soon as practicable, and that all the convicts should be worked on state account. To this end the prison commissioners gave notice to all whose contracts expired with the end of this year that the contracts would not be renewed. This will leave very few men on share farms and none on contracts at the end of this year.
“The state has about 10,000 acres of land beside the 17,000 now in cultivation. This 10,000 acres will be put in cultivation for the year 1912. It is the intention of the prison commission (and has already been done) to put the farms and farm buildings in first-class condition, to make the buildings comfortable and healthful, to have good sanitation and wholesome conditions and all reasonable arrangements for the comfort of the convicts.”
New York’s Campaign For a Farm Colony.—The “farm colony plan” has progressed further toward success in this year’s session of the legislature than ever before. For several years charitable and correctional organizations have urged the state legislature to establish a farm and industrial colony for tramps and vagrants. At the present writing the bill has passed the lower house and is now in the order of third reading in the senate. Governor Dix is reported to have stated frequently his interest in this bill.
The bill, which has general interest in all states where the farm colony plan has been contemplated, provides for a state industrial farm colony for the detention, humane discipline, instruction and reformation of male adults committed thereto as tramps or vagrants. The colony shall be under the control and management of a board of seven managers, to serve without compensation. The board shall appoint the superintendent and other employes, establish rules and regulations including the classification, parole, discharge and retaking of inmates. The board shall, if possible, utilize lands now owned by the state, if such lands are suitable as a site for the state farm colony. In case no lands now owned by the state are found to be suitable, the board of managers shall select a site of not less than 500 acres. The term of detention in the colony shall be not longer than 18 months with the exception that an inmate who has been manifestly committed to an institution after the age of 16 may be detained not longer than two years. There is no minimum term of commitment, nor shall any person under the age of 22 be committed to said colony. A significant clause in the act provides that it is the intent and meaning of this act that reputable workmen, temporarily out of work and seeking employment, shall not be deemed tramps or vagrants, nor be admitted to the said colony. Persons committed as vagrants to the farm shall be local charges, and those committed as tramps shall be maintained at the expense of the state. In no event shall any locality be charged a greater amount for the care of vagrants than the actual per capita cost for their maintenance in such state industrial farm colony.