APPENDIX. 



A DIGEST OF STATE LAWS RELATING TO THE USE OP CONVICT LABOR FOR ROAD WORK. 



By L. E. BoYKiN, Assutant in Road Economic Investigations, Division of Road Eco- 

 nomics. 



In the last few years there has been a notable increase in the 

 number of States which permit the use of prison labor in highway 

 work or in the preparation of road materials. During the year 1915 

 26 of the 44 State legislatures which were in session enacted new 

 legislation bearing on the subject. At the present time all but two 

 States have laws authorizing such use. There follows a brief digest 

 of such general laws as were in force in the several States January 1 , 

 1916. Numerous special laws also exist in many States, but they 

 have only a local or special application, and no attempt has been 

 made to include their provisions in this digest. 



Alabama. 



State. — An amendment to the constitution was voted, August, 1907, authorizing the 

 legislatm-e to appropriate part or all of the net proceeds from the State convict fund to 

 the construction, repair", and maintenance of public roads . In pursuance of the author- 

 ity thus confeiTed the legislatme, by act of April 5, 1911, appropriated fi'om said State 

 con\-ict fund the sum of $154,000 annually to be apportioned, after making the deduc- 

 tion allowed by law for the salaries and expenses of the State highway commission, 

 equally among the several coimties of the State. 



Counties. — The convicts of any county or municipality may be worked upon the 

 public roads, bridges, or femes of the county, or in quarries, gravel pits, or any plant 

 used for the production of road materials, under the direction of the court of county 

 commissioners or board of revenue; or said convicts may be hired to or from another 

 county or from the State. No female convict shall be so worked, but may cook and 

 prepare meals for road crews. (Acts 1915, No. 505.) 



Coiuts of county commissioners, boards of revenue, or other like governing bodies 

 of the several counties, may work county and State convicts on the public roads and 

 bridges of their respective counties; and they may hire their county convicts to, hire 

 from, or exchange with, other counties, under such terms as may be mutually agreed 

 upon for the purpose of building and maintaining the public roads. Said governing 

 bodies of the several counties may contract with the State convict department for 

 State con\-icts to be used for a like pm-pose, under such regulations as may be pre- 

 scribed by the said State con\'ict department. They may also purchase necessary 

 cells, tents, eqmpment, and clothing, hire sufficient guards, and provide proper med- 

 ical treatment. Said governing bodies may pay all expenses incident to employing 

 Buch convicts out of any funds available for road and bridge work in their respective 

 counties. (Acts 1915, No. 580.) 



Arizona. 



State. — The State board of control may cause persons sentenced to imprisonment in 

 the State pri.son to work upon the construction, repair, or maintenance of State roads, 

 highways, and bridges in the several counties, on request of the county supervisors 

 thereof, and in conformity to the directions and specifications of the State engineer. 

 When the board of control shall decide so to work such convicts, the secretary of said 

 board shall notify the superintendent of the State prison to furnish such number of 

 men as the board may direct and cause them to be removed to the place or places where 

 such work is to be done. All implements, tools, machinery, supplies of every kind, 

 all animals nfjc-essary for the prosecution of such work, and suitable shelter for men 

 and animals shall be purchased and provided by said board of control. The State 

 engineer may e.-tabli.sn and maintain camps or enclosures for the men so employed 

 and, with the approval of the board of control, make and provide suitable methods of 

 enforcing rules and regulationa for governing the men while so employed. When the 



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