The Chicago Prison Labor Report (1913–1914) SUMMARIZES a detailed city investigation into how inmate labor was used, paid, and managed.
This historical document lays out the findings of the Civil Service Commission’s efficiency division, the official opinions, and the recommendations that followed. It presents the scope, methods, and outcomes of the investigation, along with contemporaneous letters and policy proposals.
This edition collects examinations of how prison-made goods and services were distributed to city departments, private contractors, and potential municipal use markets. It covers contract versus state-use approaches, budget implications, and the push to reform inmate work programs while improving administration and accounting.
- Overview of the investigation process, key questions, and the roles of city officials.
- Evaluation of contracting with private companies and the move toward direct city use of inmate labor.
- Specific recommendations for administration, accounting, and reporting within the House of Correction.
- Supporting correspondence and exhibits that illustrate policy debates of the era.
Ideal for readers of public administration history, Chicago city governance, and early 20th‑century reform movements, this book offers a window into how municipal labor and inmate management were analyzed and contested over a century ago.