Some “prison reformers” so-called, seem to be laboring under the
impression that it is possible to keep convicts profitably employed
without subjecting free labor of some sort to competition. A moment’s
reflection, however, shows that this impression is erroneous. The
best that can be done is to distribute industries in the prisons so
as to reduce competition to the minimum, and that it is the policy
which the State is now pursuing. A sash and door factory has just been
established at Sing Sing, the output of which is to be used in public
buildings. This leaves the market for sashes and doors practically to
the free labor employed in that industry, and yet the fact remains,
that but for this prison factory the State would have to patronize
the other ones. The Amended Constitution and recent legislation in
conformity with it have rendered the task of keeping convicts at work
a problem. Of course they might be employed piling and unpiling stones
in the prison grounds for no other purpose than to prevent them from
being idle. But experience has proved that fruitless work of this
sort is bad for convicts, tending to demoralize them. Unless they
are given something to do worth doing they grow morbid and ripe for
further mischief. Road-making as an experiment may be worth trying. The
Superintendent of prisons says he finds it exceedingly difficult to
keep convicts employed without antagonizing the Constitution, until the
Legislature makes the present law mandatory.