Which system handed convicts over to contractors who used them in bridge and road construction, agriculture, mining, etc.; Contractors were responsible for discipline, feeding, and housing of the prisoners; In reality, it resembled slavery?

• A. Parole
• B. Probation
• C. Reformatory System
• D. Lease System

Answer: (D)

The convict lease system is a penal labor setup in which the state handed prisoners to private contractors to use in building infrastructure and mining, farming, or other work. Those contractors were responsible for supervising, housing, feeding, and disciplining the prisoners, so the labor came with harsh, coercive conditions and little personal autonomy. This arrangement effectively treated prisoners as a captive labor force, closely resembling slavery in practice.

Parole and probation are about supervised release or community-based oversight, not forced work under private control. The reformatory system focuses on rehabilitating juveniles rather than exploiting inmate labor for private gain.