The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-21
PRISON FOR WOMEN.
ONE is URGENTLY NEEDED In MIN
NESOTA, AND ST. PAUL ESPECI-
ALLY.
GOOD SHEPHERD DECISION
HAS LEFT ONLY THE WORKHOUSE
OPEN TO ERRING WOMEN
NOW,
CRIMINOLOGY AND ECONOMY.
Both Demand Central WOmen's
Prison for the Use of the
State at Large.
GOOD SHEPHERD DECISION
CRIMINOLOGY AND ECONOMY.

eeNAcent decision Of the supreme
"oh eclaring unconstitutional the
kenance under which it was GUS
to commit certain classes Of
court prisoners to the House of
BOD Shepherd, has left the city in
sdicament from which it is claim
humanity demands immediate and
nanent relief. Since the action of
supreme court no commitments
re been made from the municipal
court to the House of the Good Shep-
herd. and all prisoners convicted in the
police court, with the exception of
young boys whose age consigns them
to the state refomatory, have been sent
to the workhouse. This indiscriminate
herding Of prisoners, regardless of
their offenses and the moral depravity
of some whose influence must necessar-
lily be for evil upon the less hardened
prisoners, is regarded by those inter-
ested in the reformation of the fallen
as entirely wrong, and the question
has arisen what to do with women and
young girls in particular whose SEN
fences have resulted from first offenses
or one false step, and who are anxious
to reform. 1t is claimed that in con-
signing such prisoners to the society
and association of those depraved and
hardened by vice is only giving an i'm
petus to their downward tendencies in
stead Of aiding in their restoration to
good citizenship and honorable lives.
With this view in mind, and consid-
ering the question one Of vital import
lance, a number Of citizens have con-
cerned themselves with the contin-
gency resulting from the decision of
the supreme court and are engaged
in an investigation which has as it's
and the establishment of a permanent
institution on the reformatory plan
where the municipal court judges may
send young women who appear before
them for the first time, or women of
any age whose offense has not been
such as to warrant confinement at the
workhouse with the more vicious Of
tenders.
Before the action of the supreme
court all such prisoners, including old
women and young girls just beginning
downward careers, were sent to the
House of Good Shepherd; where, under
the care of the sisters, it is claimed
many were turned from their way
ward course and influenced to better
lives. Under the old system only the
most hardened offenders were sent to
the workhouse. All well regulated
cities, it is said, administer their po-
lice court affairs in a similar manner,
providing for reformation for those
who are not considered beyond recall
and dealing strenuously only with
those who are chronic or vicious often
ders.
Admitting that the House of Good
l.
a city institution, it is claimed that 1t
has for years filed a place in the gov
eminent of the city which must now
in the face Of the supreme court decis-
ion, require an adequate substitution
A visit to the workhouse yesterday
to ascertain the facilities there at the
command of the city to properly care
for any and all prisoners convicted in
the municipal court, called forth an
expression of opinion from Supt. Fitz-
gerald that the institution could com.
petently care for female prisoners Of
all classes without the slightest fear of
the less criminally inclined being con-
taminated by those of more vicious
tendencies.
"Our system" said Mr.. Fitzgerald,
docs not permit Of the results which
might ordinarily follow from combining
together prisoners of all grades and
moral conditions We have separate
apartments for women, and, while
all female prisoners are kept in the
same ward, they are never without the
presence of matron, whose duty in ad-
dition to that Of a guard, is to look
after the general demeanor of her
charges. Never during the entire day
IS she absent from their company and
at night the women are confined in in
dividua1 cells, thus doing away with
the possibility of actions or conversa-
ton on the part of some which might
have a bad influence upon others
Then, again. continued Mr.. Fitzgerald,
in all my experience with prisoners of
this class, 1 have very rarely found old
offenders anxious or even willing by
either word or deed to evilIy influence
those with whom they came in contact
who were just beginning to lead bad
lives. On the contrary, depraved and
low women on witnessing the first
downward step of some young girl will
not only sympathize with her, but will
warn her against the course they have
pursued and intreat her to mend her
ways before 1t is too late. using them
selves as examples Of what sorrow and
regret will follow a continued course
of wrong doing.
In regard to our methods of en-