The herald., 1895-11-28
PRISON NOTES

More than twenty years ago during the
temperance crusade our women first Wis
tied the prisons with the one thought of
helping those who had fallen through
the influence of strong drink. At the
present time the department OF prison
work in the W. @. L. U. is thoroughly
organized, reaching out over every state
and territory. 1t includes state prisons,
convict camps, jails, police stations,
houses of correction and rsformatories.
The first matron in Chicago was secured
as an experimen at the Harrison street
police station. The w. G. r. U. was al
lowed the privilege OF nominating the
woman for the position and paying half
her salary for the year The first three
months demonstrated the need of such
an officer, for she had over 1900 women
and girls under her care. There are now
on duty in that city thirty police mat
rons.
In twelve states police matron law has
been secured, which requires that all cit
les of over 10, OBJ inhabitants shall en-
ploy matrons at police stations. Lam
gnage cannot tell all the marvellous re-
forms brought about by the system.
The stale refnrmatory at Whittier is
doing a good work for the boys and xirl,
placed under its care. Why should the
state of California not provide .compul-
sorry industrial education for the hun
ireds OF young hoodlums on our streets,
who furnish the prisons and reformg-
tories with their recruits? Why wait un-
I'll tho boy has com mitted some cline
and the girl become an uutcast from So
ciety before teaching them trades? Mich
| igan, Wisconsin and otner states are sOlv
| ing this problem by establIshinf state
| public schools where children can be
trained to be self-supporting.
In Southern Califo MIA each county has
a local superintendent IN prison work.
| who visits the jails. GOSPEL services are
held, the superintendent often uniting
| with other Christians in this service.
! Thousands of pages of eoUd reading mat
| ter are distributed every year. Bibles
| and testaments are given away; prison
efs' families are visited, help given dis
| charged prisoners in The way of finding
employ ment. Flower mission day is ub-
served anu special services held.
AT last Los Angeles is to have new
| city Jail. The abomination that has ex-
listed for years at the old CITY hall will
soon be thing Of the past.
The chief of police has repeatedly called
| the attention of the authorities to the
urgent necessity of larger and more
healthful quarters. All grades end ages
| of criminals are crowded together, the
old and the young often so closely that
| there is scarcely room to lie down. Until
recently all women arrested were put in
one small cell, SKA feet, cold and damp,
with scarcely any daylight in it. They
were not cared for by a woman, but by the
| jailer or by some trusty.
Suppose the Inside history OF our city
| jail should be written up as it is. Some
! cold, hard fauts could be given that
would make interesting ca reading for
! the people Of Los Angeles.
Through the urgent and repeated ap.
| peals Of some OF our women better &C
| com modatiuns are now furnished by the
| city for female prisoners at the East Los
| Angeles station. A police matron has
| cha. ee of them through the day. but not
| at night.
The state law requires that juvenile
| prisoners should be kept separated from
| older and hardened ones, but as already
shown this law is disregaroed.
No suitable provision is made for the
| detention OF Insane women. If uncor-
| trollable they are placed III the padded
cell opening off tbs mems corridor; there
can be no privacy, for any one can look
| into the cell through the small aperture
| in the door. For the sake of decency some
| other provision should be made for these
poor uDfortunates.
The past year. 258 women have been
under arrest at the police station Every
| humane person will bs glad to know that
| a separate ward is to be provided for the
| female prisoners III the new city Jail; also
room and Office for police matrol, who
will have full charge of all women ar.
rested.
The Los Angeles library has donated
| 100 books and large mum Der OF maya
N'""' " ''' NJ. s. DIAl!CK.
State Superintendent Of Prison Work, W.