Convict Labor Records

Monday, August 31st, 2020 in collection highlights, history of Travis County, Portal to Texas History, research. No Comments

Convict leasing was a system of penal labor in which prisoner labor was leased to private parties. The practice began in Texas and other southern states shortly after the Civil War, when officials realized they had a large population of prisoners to care for and very little money.  Leasing the inmates to private individuals appeared to offer […]