The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-12-12
A MODEL REFORMATORY.
A Noted Indiana Institution.


This afternoon, by invitation of Mrs.
Governor Hendricks, [ accompanied
her to visit the most wonderful institu-
ton in the world. It is the Woman's
Prison and Reformatory for Girls. It
has the honor of being the first of the
kind in the world. There is another
now at Sherborne, Mass, but it has
only been in operation two years, while
this has been in operation seven years,
and the Sherborne prison was modelled
after it. The institution receives all
the convicted criminals of the State
who are girls and women. 4aa
All incorrigible girls are also sent
here, where. they are received and
taught. Among the inmates are nearly
fifty little girls under IL years Of age,
who had already entered upon a life of
crime. AS the noble-looking Quaker
ess, Sarah Smith, who, with the assist
ance Of a corps of eight or nine women,
manages this whole institution, ascend
ed with me the stairs to the chapel, she
said: Remember these girls and
women are from the very scum and off
securing of Indiana" As I looked upon
them I involuntarily exclaimed, Can
it be possible?" About 200 girls and
women were before me. Their faces
were so clean and their hair so smooth
that they fairly shone. Their counter
ances beamed with interest, and I never
for one moment would have imagined
them to be criminals, but only a COM
pany of school girls of ordinary intelli
gence. There was not a suggestion of
prison garb. They all wore neat calico
dresses and neat little white collar.
Some had their hair braided, some
wore it short, but every one showed the
cultivation of neatness of person, which
is one of the most refining influences
which can be brought to bear upon and
cherish the self-respect necessary to
virtuous womanhood. In one corner
sat the fifty or sixty little girls, all
dressed in neatly-made calico dresses,
and looking SO interesting and happy
that any mothers heart would go out
to them in affection. They listened to
several short addresses, joined in sing
ing (and, by the way, they sing beauti
fully, led by q young lady who, having
passed her term of imprisonment of
four years without ever having once
been reproved, is free, and is now
employed as an officer of the in
stitution), and preserved the most per-
feet order.
It was sight never to be forgotten.
[ could have listened all day to Mrs.
Hendricks and Mrs. Smith as they re-
lated incidents of their work. Of the
inmates received, 80 per cent. have
been permanently reformed. Only
think of it! and it is all the work of
women. Men were skeptical when the
idea was proposed. They declared that
women could never manage the
hardened criminals who were then in
the various jails and prisons. When
this institution was opened, number
of the most hardened and abandoned
women were brought there in chains
Sarah Smith ordered their chains off.
and she controls them all with pure
strength of moral force. It is truly
wonderful. Never have [ seen any
thing that SO inspired me with hope
that fallen humanity may be reclaimed
as this sight. Of the workings of the
institution it would take several col
umns to tell. The only objection that
has ever been urged to it is that the
inmates are made too comfortable. But
they are all kept industriously at work
They are taught the rudiments of edu-
cation; they are compelled to lead lives
of purity and order, and if any one can
show that they would be morally i'm
proved by making them physically I'M
comfortable, or by branding them with
a prison costume, or keeping them in
and handouts when they can
be governed without, on him let the
burden of proof fall.