Indiana Women 's prison - wikipedia Indiana Women 's prison Indiana Women 's Prison Location 2596 Girls School Road Indianapolis, Indiana Status open Security class mixed Opened 1873 Managed by Indiana Department of Corrections The Indiana Women 's Prison was established in 1873 as the first adult female correctional facility in the country. The original location of the prison was one mile ( 1.6 km ) east of downtown Indianapolis. It has since moved to 2596 Girls School Road, former location of the Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility. As of 2005 it had an average daily population of 420 inmates, most of whom are members of special - needs populations, such as geriatric, mentally ill, pregnant, and juveniles sentenced as adults. By the end of 2015 the population increased to 599 inmates. Security levels range from medium to maximum. The prison holds Indiana 's only death row for women ; however, it currently has no death row inmates. The one woman under an Indiana death sentence, Debra Denise Brown, is being held in Ohio. Contents 1 Early history 2 Mid-20th century 3 Demographics 4 Famous Inmates 5 References 6 External links Early history Established in 1873, the Indiana Women 's Prison was not only the United States ' first separate institution for female prisoners, but was also the first maximum - security female correctional facility in the nation. Formerly, female felons had been detained at the Indiana State Prison, located first in Jeffersonville and later in Clarksville. When Quaker prison reformers Rhoda Coffin and Sarah J. Smith learned of the abuses suffered by women prisoners at the hands of the male guards, they lobbied for an end to sexual abuse of women in state prisons. Soon after, Ellen Cheney Johnson facilitated the opening of the Dedham Asylum for Discharged Female Prisoners in Massachusetts. In 1869, their bill for a `` Female Prison and Reformatory Institution for Girls and Women '' passed the state legislature and served as a precedent to prison reformers across the country. Sarah J. Smith, a minister, former Civil War nurse, and matron of Indiana 's Home for the Friendless in Richmond, was the first superintendent of the Indiana Women 's Prison, as well as the first female superintendent of any prison -- male or female -- in the United States. As superintendent, she `` relied on traditional methods of discipline '' in addition to teaching inmates `` some remunerative skills so that they would not be tempted to commit crimes after their release. '' Mainly, the women worked on laundry, sewing, and knitting, though some did industrial work. Rewards for good merit included working outdoors in the chicken farm or gardens, painting the rooms, and performing other small renovations. At the opening of the institution, the first inmate to be admitted was Sallie Hubbard, convicted for the murder of seven people. Hubbard was transferred from the Jeffersonville State Prison, where she had already served seventeen years of her sentence. At the end of its first year, sixteen offenders were held in the Women 's Prison ; however, the number of inmates quickly increased. According to the Handbook of American Prisons published in 1929, 197 women were incarcerated on September 30, 1928. The Handbook noted that the women could benefit from increased organization in prison activities to provide a `` wholesome experience in the duties and responsibilities of social living. '' Mid-20th century In 1968, Dana Blank took the job of assistant superintendent at the Indiana Women 's Prison. Upon her arrival, the population of female offenders had dropped to around 88, and there were no treatment programs available to the women. Once Blank became superintendent in 1990, however, she began to change the culture of the prison to one that looks at each woman holistically. Because of the extremely high abuse rate among incarcerated women, Blank created a safe and nurturing environment for the women in addition to beginning the prison 's visitation program and summer camp in order to promote mother - child bonding. Since 1900, the state of Indiana has sentenced to death four women, none of whom were ever executed. The most famous of them was Paula Cooper # 864800, ( 2 ) a 15 - year - old juvenile sentenced to death on July 11, 1986, for her role in the grisly murder of an elderly neighbor. While her death sentence was commuted in 1989, Cooper 's sentence caused international uproar because of her youth, and even Pope John Paul II intervened on her behalf. While in prison, she continued to make headlines : a bill that raised Indiana 's age of execution for murder from 10 to 16 came directly from Paula Cooper 's case, as did a bill that made it illegal for jail employees to have sex with inmates after two guards and a recreational therapist were charged with having sex with Cooper while she was in jail awaiting sentencing. Demographics According to data released on September 7, 2006, by the Indiana Department of Corrections, of the prison 's 430 inmates, 272 were white, 145 black, 9 Hispanic, 2 American Indian, and 2 Asian / Pacific. Compared to the percentages of white and black inmates of the state 's adult male facilities, the Indiana Women 's Prison has a higher percentage of whites incarcerated ( 63 % to 55 % ) and a lower percentage of blacks incarcerated ( 34 % to 37 % ). Rockville Correctional Facility, Indiana 's other female prison, has similar percentages : 64 % of inmates are white, 32 % black. Despite having whites account for nearly two - thirds of the inmates, white prison employees make up only 52 % of the 165 - member staff. Black staff members account for 45 %, which is the highest percentage of black staff in the state. In a state where almost half the inmates are black, whites constitute 83 % of prison employees while black staff members account for 14 % of the DOC 's 6,245 employees. Famous inmates Clara Green Gibson Carl was convicted in June 1922 of second - degree murder in the poisoning death of her second husband, Frank Carl. She was given a life sentence, her time to be served at the Indiana Women 's Prison. She did not, however, serve out her sentence. In May 1937, she was paroled Sarah Jo Pender was in solitary confinement at the Indiana Women 's Prison from December 2008 to January 2013, following her escape from the Rockville Correctional Facility. Melinda Loveless and Mary Laurine Tackett, who were both involved in the murder of 12 - year - old Shanda Sharer in 1992, are also housed in this prison. Gertrude Baniszewski was an American murderer who, with the aid of most of her own children and neighborhood children, oversaw and facilitated the prolonged torture, mutilation, and eventual murder of 16 - year - old Sylvia Likens, a teenage girl she had taken into her home. When she was convicted of first - degree murder in 1966, the case was called the `` single worst crime perpetrated against an individual in Indiana 's history ''. References ^ Jump up to : Rafter, Nicole Hahn. Partial Justice : Women, Prisons and Social Control. Transaction Publishers, 1990. ^ Jump up to : official Indiana Women 's Prison website Jump up ^ Offender population statistical report : calendar year 2015. Indiana Department of Correction, Division of Research and Technology. ( 1 ) ^ Jump up to : O'Shea, Kathleen A. Women and the Death Penalty in the United States, 1900 - 1998. Praeger Publishers, 1999. Jump up ^ `` Offenders Sentenced to Death. '' Indiana Department of Correction. Retrieved on November 26, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Handbook of American Prisons and Reformatories published by the National Society of Penal Information, Incorporated, New York, NY, 1929 ^ Jump up to : Freedman, Estelle B. Their Sisters ' Keepers : Women 's Prison Reform in America, 1830 - 1930. The University of Michigan Press, 1981. Jump up ^ Rafter, Nicole Hahn. Partial Justice : Women in State Prisons, 1800 - 1935. Northeastern University Press, 1985. Jump up ^ `` The Overcoming Power of Love... '' The Journal of the Friends ' Historical Society. 8 : 128. 1911. ^ Jump up to : `` Race of Employees and Inmates '' statistics, Indiana Department of Corrections External links Indianapolis portal Indiana portal Prisons portal `` Indiana Women 's Prison. '' - Indiana Department of Correction `` Indiana Women 's Prison '' - Indiana Department of Correction ( Archive ) Prisons for women in the United States This list template only include facilities for post-trial long - term confinement of adult females and juvenile females sentenced as adults, of one or two years or more ( referred to as `` prisons '' in the United States, while the word `` jail '' normally refers to short - term confinement facilities ) Federal facilities Federal Bureau of Prisons Federal Prison Camp, Alderson Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville Federal Prison Camp, Bryan Federal Medical Center, Carswell Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin United States Penitentiary, Hazelton Federal Correctional Institution, Tallahassee Federal Correctional Institution, Waseca Converted into men 's facilities Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury Federal Reformatory for Women in Seagoville Department of Defense Naval Consolidated Brig, Miramar State prisons Alabama Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women Montgomery Women 's Facility Alaska Hiland Mountain Correctional Center Arizona Arizona State Prison Complex -- Perryville Arkansas McPherson Unit Hawkins Center for Women Closed Arkansas State Farm for Women Women removed from facility Cummins Unit Tucker Unit California California Institution for Women Central California Women 's Facility Folsom Women 's Facility Converted into men 's facilities Valley State Prison for Women Colorado Denver Women 's Correctional Facility La Vista Correctional Facility Closed Colorado Women 's Correctional Facility Connecticut York Correctional Institution Delaware Delores J. Baylor Women 's Correctional Institution Florida Lowell Correctional Institution Closed Broward Correctional Institution Women removed from facility Union Correctional Institution Georgia Arrendale State Prison Pulaski State Prison Converted into men 's facilities Georgia Women 's Correctional Institution Closed Metro State Prison Hawaii Women 's Community Correctional Center Idaho Pocatello Women 's Correctional Center South Boise Women 's Correctional Center Illinois Logan Correctional Center Closed Dwight Correctional Center Indiana Indiana Women 's Prison Rockville Correctional Facility Iowa Iowa Correctional Institution for Women Kansas Topeka Correctional Facility Kentucky Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women Ross - Cash Center Converted into men 's facilities Western Kentucky Correctional Complex Closed Otter Creek Correctional Center Louisiana Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women Women removed from facility Louisiana State Penitentiary Maine Maine Correctional Center Women 's Center Maryland Maryland Correctional Institution for Women Massachusetts Massachusetts Correctional Institution -- Framingham Michigan Women 's Huron Valley Correctional Facility Minnesota Minnesota Correctional Facility -- Shakopee Mississippi Central Mississippi Correctional Facility Women removed from facility Mississippi State Penitentiary Missouri Women 's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center Chillicothe Correctional Center Montana Montana Women 's Prison Nebraska Nebraska Correctional Center for Women Nevada Florence McClure Women 's Correctional Center New Hampshire New Hampshire State Prison for Women New Jersey Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women New Mexico New Mexico Women 's Correctional Facility New York Albion Correctional Facility Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women Taconic Correctional Facility Closed Bayview Correctional Facility Beacon Correctional Facility North Carolina North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women Eastern Correctional Institution Closed Black Mountain Correctional Center for Women Fountain Correctional Center for Women North Piedmont Correctional Center for Women North Dakota Dakota Women 's Correctional and Rehabilitation Center Ohio Ohio Reformatory for Women Oklahoma Mabel Bassett Correctional Center Oregon Coffee Creek Correctional Facility Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution -- Cambridge Springs State Correctional Institution -- Muncy Rhode Island Gloria McDonald Awaiting Trial Maximum and Medium Security Facility Dorothea Dix Minimum Security Facility / Bernadette Building South Carolina Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution Leath Correctional Institution South Dakota South Dakota Women 's Prison Tennessee Tennessee Prison for Women Texas Christina Crain Unit Hilltop Unit William P. Hobby Unit Mountain View Unit Dr. Lane Murray Unit Converted into men 's facilities Eastham Unit Goree Unit Johnson Farm Women removed from unit Huntsville Unit Utah Utah State Prison Vermont Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility Closed Dale Woman 's Facility Virginia Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women Virginia Correctional Center for Women Washington Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women Washington Corrections Center for Women Closed Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women West Virginia Lakin Correctional Center Women removed from facility Pruntytown Correctional Center Wisconsin Taycheedah Correctional Institution Wyoming Wyoming Women 's Center District and insular area prisons District of Columbia See Federal Bureau of Prisons Closed Lorton Reformatory Guam Women 's Facility Northern Mariana Islands Northern Marianas Prison Puerto Rico Escuela Industrial para Mujeres Vega Alta U.S. Virgin Islands Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility See also : Incarceration of women in the United States Note : Adults who commit felonies in the District of Columbia are sent to Federal Bureau of Prisons ( BOP ) facilities Indiana Department of Correction prisons State prisons Branchville Correctional Facility Chain O'Lakes Correctional Facility Correctional Industrial Facility Edinburgh Correctional Facility Henryville Correctional Facility Indiana State Prison Indiana Women 's Prison Indianapolis Re-Entry Educational Facility Madison Correctional Facility Miami Correctional Facility Pendleton Correctional Facility Plainfield Correctional Facility Putnamville Correctional Facility Reception Diagnostic Center Rockville Correctional Facility South Bend Community Re-Entry Wabash Valley Correctional Facility Westville Correctional Facility Private prisons Heritage Trail Correctional Facility ( GEO Group ) New Castle Correctional Facility ( GEO Group ) Coordinates : 39 ° 46 ′ 21 '' N 86 ° 07 ′ 36 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 39.77250 ° N 86.12667 ° W ﻿ / 39.77250 ; - 86.12667 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indiana_Women%27s_Prison&oldid=798455410 '' Categories : Women 's prisons in the United States Crime in Indianapolis Prisons in Indiana 1873 establishments in Indiana Women in Indiana Hidden categories : Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2005 All articles containing potentially dated statements Coordinates on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia 日本 語 Edit links This page was last edited on 2 September 2017, at 02 : 23. 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Question: what was the first women’s prison in the united states
Answer: Indiana Women’s Prison