CONVICT LABOR FOR ROAD WORK. 203 
Massachusetts. 
State. — The board of prison commissioners may cause the prisoners in any jail 
or house of correction to be employed within the precincts thereof in preparing road 
material, but no machine except such as is operated by hand or foot power shall be 
used in connection therewith. The Massachusetts Highway Commission shall give 
to said prison commissioners such information as will enable them to direct such em- 
ployment properly. Materials so prepared may be sold to the county commissioners 
or to city and town officers who have care of public roads. All materials not so sold 
shall be purchased by the Massachusetts Highway Commission for use on State high- 
ways; but the prison commissioners may cause any of said prisoners to be employed 
on material furnished by said highway commission which shall then pay for the labor 
of preparation. (Rev. Laws 1902. ch* 225. sees. 59-61.) 
Prisoners removed to the temporary industrial camp for prisoners shall be governed 
and employed under regulations made by the prison co mmis sioners. The Massa- 
chusetts Highway Commission and the Board of Agriculture, at request of the prison 
commissioners, shall furnish such information as will enable them to prosecute to 
best advantage the work of reclaiming and improving waste land and preparing road 
materials by hand labor. (Acts 1904. ch. 243.) 
The superintendent of the prison camp and hospital at Rutland, with approval of 
the board of prison commissioners, may employ prisoners confined in the camp section 
thereof in the preparation of road material by the use of such machinery as said board 
may consider necessary. Receipts from the sale of products and materials resulting 
from the labor of such prisoners shall be paid into the State treasury monthly, and so 
much thereof as may be necessary used to pay the cost of providing machinery, 
equipment, and other things, including supervision, required in such operations. 
(Acts 1915. ch. 260.) 
Counties. — The county co mmis sioners of any county may make arrangements with 
the Massachusetts Highway Commission, or with officials of a city or town, to work 
prisoners from a jail or house of correction on any highway, or unimproved land, or 
with a private owner to improve waste or unused land. Prisoners so worked shall 
be in custody of the sheriff. For the labor of any prisoners so employed the county 
shall be paid such sums as mav be agreed upon. (Acts 1913, ch. 633, as amended; 
Acts 1914, ch. 180, and 1915. ch. 177.) 
Michigan. 
State. — Upon written request of the proper county, township, or district road 
officials, the boards of control of the State penal and reformatory institutions may 
detail such able-bodied convicts as to them shall seem proper, not exceeding the 
number requested, to work upon such highways as shall be designated in said requests. 
Such requests shall be accompanied by a bid price per day for such labor, and allot- 
ments shall be to the highest bidder, but the price paid for such work shall be not less 
than 50 cents per day. "Such county, township, or district shall pay the cost of trans- 
portation from and to the institution from which such convicts are obtained, and shall 
provide or pay for the lodging and food and furnish necessary tools and materials. 
The expense of guarding, if guarding be necessary, shall be paid by the State. Such 
convicts may be used in preparing road materials at quarries, but they shall not 
be worked in building any bridge which requires skilled labor. Good-time allowance 
may be granted such convicts for good conduct. (P. A. 1911, No. 181.) 
Counties. — The board of supervisors of any county may order that any or all able- 
bodied persons over 18 years of age under sentence of imprisonment in the county jail 
shall be required to work upon the public highways, or in preparing road materials, 
or at any other work for the benefit of the county. The commissioners of highways of 
any township, and the authorities of any city, village, or county institution, may 
apply for the labor of such convicts. Such prisoners "shall be under the control and 
custody of the sheriff while so worked, and the work performed shall be under the 
direction of the proper authorities of such township, city, village, or institution who 
shall furnish necessary tools and materials. The sheriff shall feed such prisoners 
the same as if they were confined in the county jail. (Acts 1915, No. 132.) 
Minnesota. 
State.— The State board of control shall purchase necessary machinery and appli- 
ances, in addition to that now belonging to the State at the Minnesota State Reforma- 
tory, and cause the spalls and waste rock on the grounds of said reformatory to be 
suitably crushed for road-building purposes. Such crushed stone, in excessof the 
needs of the reformatory, shall be delivered f . o. b. at the quarries to the State highway 
