1914] Convict Labor in Road Constkuction 65 



soul of many a man ; and, to my mind, should only be used as 

 a last resort and not as a first resort. I believe depriving a 

 man of his liberty and requiring him to work for the State for 

 a certain length of time according to the gravity of his crime 

 is sufficient punishment for a very large majority of the men 

 who are convicted. 



At present, without going into the question as to what is the 

 best work for the convict to do, I wish simply to make the 

 general proposition that in any group of convicts it will always 

 be found that some will do a great deal more and better work 

 than others, that some will work very willingly and industri- 

 ously; while others are lazy and only work the minimum 

 amount that is required of them. This is especially true of a 

 certain class, when they feel that they have got nothing what- 

 ever to gain by more energetic endeavors. Would it not then 

 be the proper thing for the State to allow the convict a certain 

 percentage of the value of his labor, w^hich could be forwarded 

 to his family, if he has one dependent upon, him ; or become 

 accumulative and be given to him at the end of his sentence 

 as a fund with which to start life anew. 



The State is the guardian of every convict and she can make 

 or break him according to the treatment she measures out to 

 him. Her rules and regulations must be just, and then she 

 must insist upon their strict obedience. On the other hand she 

 must be just as strict to see that those she places in charge of 

 the convict, whether it be Prison Warden, Superintendent, or 

 Foreman, all keep faith with the convict and that all promises 

 made to them of whatever character are kept. A promise to the 

 convict is an obligation that the State must keep, and upon the 

 strict carrying out of such promises and the strict enforcement 

 of just rules and regulations will depend the success of the use 

 of convict labor not only in road construction but for any other 

 purpose. 



Keeping in mind the suggestions and statements made above, 

 I would submit for your consideration as a logical plan for the 

 treatment and organization for work of the convict the follow- 

 ing: 



That the men who have been convicted and sentenced for the 



