The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-01-06
WOMEN AND GIRLS.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE RE-
EORMATORY

ANN OA1 hEHORI OF THE STATE RE-
FORMATORY.
RESULT OF THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. GENERAL
REPoRT-oPINIONs AND SUGGESTIONS OF
THE BOARD VISITORS THROUGH FIX
GOVERNOR BAKER-A GRATIFYING EXHIBIT.
The close of the year, which has brought
about the completion OF this new enterprise
of the State and the beginning of its opera
tons as public institution of great impor-
lance, gives interest to what may now be
said about it. The board of visitors ap.
pointed by the Governor, consisting of Ex-
Governor Baker, Mrs. Rhoda NJ. Coffin and
Mrs. Addison L. ROache, have made to the
Governor a report. of which the following is
a copy:
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS.
To HIS EeceUe,cy, Thomas 4. IEeradyieEs,
Governor Of Indiana:
The undersigned, one of the members of
the Board of Visitors of the Indiana Reform
atOry Institution for Women and Girls, by
direction and on behalf of said Board, begs
leave respectfully to report that the Board
recently visited the RefOrmat0ry and inspect
ed the building and examined into the af-
fairs of the institution in the Reformatory as
we'll as the penal, department thereof. There
are twenty prisoners in the penal depart
ment, nearly all of whom were on theopening
of the institution, on the eighth day of
October last, transferred from the Southern
Prison at Jacksonville. 1t was very graft
flying to those members of the Board of visi-
tors who had seen some of these same
women in the prison. at Jacksonville, to
observe how greatly their condition and
surroundings have been improved by the
transfer. In the short time of less than
three months they seem, judging from their
appearance and department, to have made
considerable progress towards the regaining
of their own self-respect, which is the first
step in the reformation of their lives and
characters. The unwomanly vice of tobacco
smoking, to which they were all addicted to
excess, was at once prohibited on their adj
mission to the Reformatory, and although
much murmuring was for time the result,
the prisoners now seem to be recOnciled to
this measure of compulsory reform, and we
believe it will be the fOrerunner of other vol
untary reforms that will, in not few in
stances, lead to restoration of an effaced or
lost womanhood. The cells and work rooms
of the prisoners are comfortable and well
ventilated, and the women themselves are
constantly under the influence of pure
womanly examples, and the best moral and
religious training and influence. There is
every reason to hope and believe that not a
few of the prisoners will, with such sur
rOundings and under such influences
as are now afforded them, be thor
Oughly reformed and fitted for useful
ness in the world when they shall have
regained their liberty. 1t is already demon
strated that woman is competent to govern
the depraved and desperate of her own sex
by womanly measures and appliances, with
out resort to the rigorous means which are
generally supposed to be necessary in prisons
governed by men, and intended wholly, or
chiefly, for male cOnvicts. There are in the
reformatory department twenty-one girls,
whose ages range fromaen to fourteen years.
1t is believed at least four-fifths of these can
be completely reformed, and become worthy
members of society when they are discharg-
ed. A part of the time of each girl is en-
ployed in the school room of the institution,
and a part devoted to industrial pursuits, the
object being to impsrt the rudiments of
good elementary education, as well as in
dustTious habits o every inmate.