New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-02
4 pEFORMATORY ZOE FEMALE Conflicts

Il
There is but one opinion as to the great sue
cess Of the New-Yorl1 State Reformatory at
Elmira 1t has been in existence twelve years.
It has received about $500 prisoners, and its
statistics conclusiyely show that the combina-
ton of penal and educational treatment for
youthful offenders has reclaimed to society at
least 0 per cent of those who have come under
its influence. II was established upon the rea-
sonabe theory that ignorance and misfortune
were at the bottom of a vast amount Of crime
and that large percentage of first offenders
especially while they were young, would BIO
susceptible to influences that tended to dis
courage vicious propcnsities and to develop
manliness, self-reliance and honesty. This
faith in human nature has been amply justified
and it is beyond all question that the State has
never spent money upon the care Of its con-
victs to better advantage than in building the
Elmila Reformatory.
All the arguments that suf1iced to persuade
the Legislature to test this enlightened and
merciful method Of dealing with hopeful Grim
inas together with many others that will in
stanty occur to every one, urge upon the pub
lie the adyisability of establishing similar IN
stitution for women and girls. The present
condition Of things is deplorable There is
no place Of imprisonment for women except
the county jails and the State prisons. In this
city they can be sent only to tho pententlary
on BlacLwelrs Island, and once they are there
no matter how slight their offence nor how
open to kindly and roformative treatment they
may be. almost all hope of their moral restora-
zion is gone. They are inevitably surrounded
si...l .s,t~n
long since forgotten the sentiment OF shame
They arc treated rather like cattle than like
human beings, and they go out OF prison with
all that is good in them Stiiled and poisoned,
and all that is bad confirmed and aggravated
The alternative Of sending them to State
prison is scarcely preferable. 1t Immediately
brands them as the worst class of criminals,
and presents as little chance of their reforma-
ton as if they were sent to the pententlary
In large cities hundreds of young girls are
convicted Of offences that are comparatively
trivial and that are not indicative OF de-
PRAYED nature. They fall into sudden tempta-
don, and, having no substantial moral char
acter to enable them to resist it, they commit
petty thefts or some such form of misdemeanor
and are in the hands of the law almost before
lDcN fcdllLc WndI lncN HdNc uDhO' IL -
testify impossible to let them go unpublished.
The courts must take cognizance of their mis-
conduct, and yet if this is done in the only
way provided for the doing Of it the result is
sure to be their complete decentralization. The
testimony Of every criminal judge in the state
will 90 to prove this assertion which, how
ever, needs no other assurance than is found
in the condition Of the ordinary prisons. They
arc intended to be nothing but aSyumS for the
vicious, and it is absurd to expect that the
effect Of a Woman'S imprisonment in them can
be anything else than her complete ruin.
This is situation that ought to be met, and
in the light Of the experience we have gained
with the Reformatory at Elmira we know just
how to meet it. The mental and industrial
training adopted there has awakened in the
minds Of the prisoners just that sort OF interest
and animation which were required to alter
their habits and thoughts, and such system
made applicable to the needs of women might
reasonably be expected to produce results even
better than have been attained at Elmira The
material to be operated upon would be gen.
orally more pliable and responsive. At all
events the present situation is as bad as can
be, and it calls loudly for a remedy. All those
economics which are worth the consideration
Of a great commonwealth argue forcbly in
favor of providing the remedy without delay.