PRISON FARMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1729, 21 April 1913, Page 3

PRISON FARMS.

SUCCESSFUL CANADIAN TRIAL. The experiment which was undertaken by tho Province of Ontario with tho object of reforming tho provincial prisons was, according to tlio Toronto correspondent of an exchange, described in an interesting manner by the Provincial Secretary, tho Hon. W. J. Hauna, in a recent address. ' , ■In 1910 the Government purchased a couple of farms near Guelpli and transported to them somo of the short-term prisoners from the Provincial Central Prison. These were at o.nco put to work at cultivating the land and preparing it for the necessary buildings. The number of men taken out was constantly iu- \ creased until in the autumn of that year thero were 180 prisoners at work. The necessary buildings have now been built, and the Provincial Prison Farm is established on a successful basis. The men nro treated very leniently and given as much freedom as possible, provided they perform their daily tasks; there is no enclosing wall and no sentries watching over them, but only about 1 per cent of men have escaped, and most of theso have been recaptured. The same experiment has boen made in tho north-western part of the province. 11l the prison at Fort William there aro usually from sixty-five to seventy prisoners, many of whom were men who have been working on railways, boats, or in the lumber camps. Coming down to tho towns, they get into trouble, ill the majority of cases through whisky. Stost of these prispners aro serving relatively short terms, and owing to the long distance from the Central Prison at Toronto they have previously been kept in the county gaol. In consequence the Department decided to start another prison farm in this district. They found a suitable location six miles from Fort William, on some land hold by the Crown, and ,a thousand acres have been set aside for the prison farm. Tho authorities toolc twenty prisoners from the gaol and .sent them out into this reserve, then practically virgin soil, and set them to work to clear tho land, stump it, and plant it. The work was only begun on June G, 1911, and the prisoners harvested sufficient potatoeg 1o supply them through tho winter, as well as growing n considerable supply of other vegetables. They have built, a permanent camp with tho necessary buildings for cooking and sleeping purposes, and' will continue clearing the land throughout the winter. Tlio expedition went out with only four paid men—a warden, a guaTd, a director of the outdoor work - and' a coolc. Abut.3oo acres of land liavo been cleared and roads GGft. wide cut and surveyed throughout the property. They expect" by tlio end of next year to have cleared most ot the property and increased its value, so that land which was worth about an acre is now worth approximately •£2O. Thus an otherwise idle prison population has produced during less than two years assets which the province considers worth Jil 2,000 or .£l-1,000.

From the standpoint of the men the new system has been a splendid undertaking. AVith good beds, pood food, good air mid good discipline, they are fit and vtoU and thoroughly enjoy {ho work. It also leaves theiri in good condition for taking up their normal life when their sentences expire. Thevd has been developed in both these farm colonies an excellent esprit do corps which makes the men anxious to do their beht in return for the confidence placed in them. lhs province is building a new asylum at Whitby, and all tho work in connection with it is being done by prison labour. Although seventy-five prisoners have been employed during the past summer and autumn, and have in tho course of their work often been left without supervision, there has been no attempt to escape. The province is naturally savins a great deal of money by employing; the prisoners iu this way.