Nice Work But No Future

"Well done," said the Marine Corps when four prisoners in Pennsylvania's Eastern State Penitentiary completed their subcontract for wooden tent pegs. But the Philadelphia Record, delving into the business affairs of the convict-capitalists last week, was not so pleased. The reason: the four prisoners had grossed $58,300 in two years. In some months, their net profits ran as high as $450 apiece.

Over two years ago the Marine Corps contracted with the Pennsylvania State Department of Welfare for millions of tent pegs to be made in prison workshops at Eastern. Part of this fat contract was farmed out by the Welfare Department to the four inmates at Eastern, who operate their own hobby shop.*

Profits were 1/2-c- a peg, paid by the Marine Corps. It furnished the lumber; heat, light, power and rent were supplied by the prison, all free. Hundreds of fellow convicts were hired by the convict capitalists for as little as 40-c- a day. In this capitalistic Utopia, with no overhead, the pegs rolled out, the profits rolled in. There was only one catch; the four hobby shop owners are serving life terms for murder.

* Prison hobby shops are not unusual, are owned by individual prisoners who hire fellow inmates to make ship models, wooden toys, and other small gadgets which are sold to outside buyers.

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