State Prison Needs Jobs for More Prisoners, Feb. 16, 1926

Over 1,400 at State Prison. . . Population Has Increased 709 in Five Years; Will Establish Floral Shop

Raleigh, Feb. 11—State prison directors, meeting in their regular session Tuesday, found a large number of unemployed prisoners for whose services the state has sought every bid and for the upkeep of which idlers the commonwealth continues to pay a stiff price.

The state has found difficulty in getting employment for the men. The road contractors have not been anxious for this class of services because prisoners without the monetary incentive to work do not turn out so much or so good a product as free labor does. The directors are calling on the state department of labor for help in placing these men. But the directors are diversifying their work. They will install shortly a floral house. And according to John W. Brewer, member of the board, who gave the statement to the papers today, the directors have other industries under advisement now. In Mr. Brewer’s statement he says:

“Reports were received from the various officials dealing with the many phases of prison management.

“Superintendent Pou again called to the attention of the board the continual increase in population of the prison, the increase for January being 23, making a total of 1,438 inmates in the state’s prison compared with 729 prisoners on March 1, 1921, being an increase of 709 prisoners in that period. If the population of the prison today was the same as in 1921 or years prior thereto, the prison would today be on a a self-supporting basis. However, with the practically 100 per cent increase in population, it has not been possible to secure employment for all prisoners. The governor, the superintendent and the board of directors have given continuous and wide publicity to their desire to find work for the idle prisoners but so far without success. The monthly average of idle prisoners for the year 1925 was about 300. The maintenance of these 300 prisoners cost the state’s prison in excess of $100,000 during the year.

“The public should also keep in mind that prisoners’ working on highways and in quarries are of course not paid except for the actual number of days worked. If the prisoners are sick or the weather is inclement so that the prisoners cannot be worked, the prison receives no money, yet the same expense for maintenance continues. As an example, I will state that prisoners on highways and in the quarries during the month of November earned $24,573.42, which was a normal month. The same prisoners earned only $14,717.36 in the month of January, due to the loss of 4,548 working days. This represents a loss of revenue for the month of $9,85605, such loss of time being in the main due to rain, now and cold, over which the board has no control.

“The board passed a resolution requesting Frank Grist, commissioner of labor and printing, to sue every effort to assist the superintendent and board of directors in finding labor for the increasing idle prisoners at the prison. The board is confident Commissioner Grist will lend his full cooperation.

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From the front page of The Smithfield Herald, Tuesday morning, Feb. 16, 1926

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073982/1926-02-16/ed-1/seq-1/