Chap. 88.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 2073 of the Code of Virginia,
as amended by an act approved March 19, 1920, and by an act approved
February 11, 1922. {[H B 45)

Approved March 4, 1924.

"Whereas, it is the fixed policy of the State of Virginia not to employ
convicts upon contract work; but,

Whereas, there are a number of convicts in the penitentiary who, on
account of their physical condition, character or disposition, the State
prison board and the superintendent of the penitentiary deem it unsafe
to put on the State convict road force; and,

Whereas, the State-use system of employment has not been suffi-
ciently developed to take care of all such convicts; and, —

Whereas, unless some further provision be made by law for the
employment of such convicts they will be confined in idleness after
February first, nineteen hundred and twenty-four; and, |

Whereas, it is expedient to provide employment for such convicts;
now, therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
two thousand and seventy-three of the Code of Virginia, as amended by
an act approved March nineteenth, nineteen hundred and twenty, and
by an act approved February eleventh, nineteen hundred and twenty-
two, be amended. and re-enacted so.as to read as follows:

Section 2073... How State convict road force constituted; employ-
ment of certain convicts at the penitentiary and at the State peniten-
tiary farm.-—All male prisoners convicted of felony, and sentenced to
confinement in the penitentiary, and all male persons now convicted and
confined in the public jails, or who may be hereafter. convicted and so
confined, and sentenced to the road force for.a misdemeanor, shall, when
delivered to the superintendent of the penitentiary, under the pro-
visions of sections twenty hundred and seventy-five and twenty hundred
and ninety-six, constitute the State convict road force. But such con-
victs as the State. prison board and the superintendent of the peni-
tentiary shall deem it improper or unsafe to be put on the convict road
force or other public works, on account. of physical condition, character,
or disposition, may be employed by the State prison board in. work for
the State at the penitentiary, at the State penitentiary farm, at the
State lime grinding plants, or in State or county stone quarries. Con-
victs actually confined within the penitentiary at. Richmond, however,
shall be used, as far as possible, in the making of articles required by the
State departments and institutions, and the State prison board is
authorized and empowered to charge the State departments and insti-
tutions the actual cost of the materials used in the manufacture of
articles furnished them, and in addition thereto an amount sufficient
to defray the maintenance costs of the prisoners employed in such State-
use industries, and to keep in repair and to replace the machinery, tools,
et cetera, used in the manufacture of the various articles furnished.
Any surplus of manufactured articles made in the said State-use indus-
tries not required by the State departments and institutions, may be
disposed of by the State prison board by sale to municipal and county
“vencies in Virginia and to Federal, State and local public agencies
within or without the State of Virginia, or as the State prison board,
with the approval of the governor, may deem to be to the best interests
of the State. Provided, however, that the products of the State-use
printing shop at the penitentiary shall be sold only to State depart-
ments, to State institutions, and to State agencies controlled by the
State of Virginia, and shall not be sold to offices or agencies of the
counties, cities and towns of the State of Virginia, or in the open mar-
kets. It is further provided that the said State prison board, hereto-
fore called the penitentiary board, on the part of the State, with the
approval of the governor, may extend the contracts of employment at
the penitentiary at Richmond and at the State penitentiary farm, in
force on the passage of this’ act, or may enter into new contracts, to
such an extent as may be necessary to obviate the necessity of keeping
in idleness convicts actually confined in the penitentiary at Richmond,
or at the State penitentiary farm, and not otherwise employed. But no
such contracts shall be extended or renewed or new contracts entered
into, unless and until the contractor or contractors, as the case may be,
shall have given bond in form approved by the attorney general of
Virginia, and with such, security and in such penalty as may be deter-
mined. by..the State. prison board: with the advice and consent of the
governor, conditioned upon the faithful performance of. all the terms of
said. contracts. oo

2. an emergency existing, this act shall be i in fe orce from its passage.

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