Richard Coke won the Texas Governorship in 1873, beating incumbent E.J. Davis. In 1875, Governor Coke launched an investigation into the Texas State Penitentiary. This resulted in the previous contracts being terminated due to poor living conditions and abuse occurring. The penitentiary was returned to the State, however, with the return of the state ownership, Governor Coke took the opportunity to expand the Convict Lease System under new contracts so the state could generate revenue and cut costs. The system primarily targeted young African-American men, who often went to jail for minor offenses and were leased to private enterprises for cheap and dangerous (at times deadly) labor. | Source: [1]Lyman. “Richard Coke (1829-1897),” March 21, 2023. https://texasproud.com/richard-coke.Download Original File
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[1]Lyman. “Richard Coke (1829-1897),” March 21, 2023. https://texasproud.com/richard-coke.
