The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-07
r. U.
Mrs. L. Nj. N. Stevens Speaks in Favor Of a
Reformatory Prison for Women.

The W. G. I. u. held their weekly
meeting at the First Baptist church yes
tsrday afternoon with large attendance
to discuss the needs OF a Reformatory
Prison for women.
Miss Dow in introducing Mrs. Stevens
called attent on to the fact that she is
not only interested in phllanthropic work
as white ribboner, but for many years
has been the Maine Official representa-
tive in the National Conference of Chari-
ties and Correction
Mrs. Stevens briefly referred to the
good work of tho various charitable and
correctional institutions of Maine, de-
claring that by far the best way to care
for bright dependent children is through
the plan of securing for them good homes
by adoption. NJ child should be allowed
to remain in an almshouse any length Of
time, and even feebleminaed children
sh ould be removed, and cared for in an
institution designed for their education.
Maine greatly needs such place. for
but % comparatively few are sent out of
the state to The schools or homes for the
feeble-tninded. She regrets that Maine
has not state board OF charities such as
they have in states most advanced in
charitable work, adding that some move
ment for this will be made at the next
legislative term.
Taking UP the topic of the reform atory
prison for women, she briefly reviewed
the dark ages of prison life, when no kind
word or look WIS ever bestowed UPON the
prisoner, when methods of torture were
studied as a science. In 1878 John How
ard began his labors as prison reforlner
but after eighteen years of heroic self-sao-
riticing endeavor he died disappointed
man, for, while he had been able to in
troduce more humane treatment into
many prisons, he made no impression
whatever concerning the reformation Of
the morals. After he died, prison reform
ianguisbed for about twenty years, then
kllzabeth Frye began her remarkable
work. She it was who first advocated
the principle that women prisoners should
be cared for'by women only. SLOW IT.
deed was the torch she lighted, i'll pene
trating the darkness which envelopea the
que stion OF prison reform. AS late as 1897
there was in Connections an una or
ground prison where men and women
were thrust i'll together, and it was about
this time that the first sermon was ever
preached in prison in this country and
an officer stood by with loaded cannon
and fuse. Great advances have been
made since then, for at present in all
moi thern prisons and some. southern ones,
there are religious services, Sunday
schools and libraries Many forms of
torture have been abolished; some CLASH
toation and communication laws have been
introduced. We shudder when we look
back at the conditions as they existed
seventy years ago, and | believe the pris-
on refOrmer seventh years hence Will be
| amazed when he, too, looks backward to
our day. The lease system of convict la
Dor which still exists in the South, lack
of proper reiormatory influences and
classification, the mingling of the sexes,
and of the old and young, improper food,
etc., still linger to q great extent.
The W. G. I. Z. is the largest society
of women in the world, it is distinctive
ly temperance organization, the best
authorities among those Interested in
prison reform notably DR.. K @. Wines
who was president of the International
prison congress, affirm, that four-fifths
| of the criminals have been excessive
our Union has been led to an interest in
| this question, more especially as 1t re-
| lates 10 women. Great praise is due
| Massach usetts for providing for its fe-
male prisoners as it does in the prison
at Sherborn. For about fifteen years we
| have been trying to secure for Maine a
| similar institution To be sure Massa-
chusetts is nearly four times US large as
| Maine, but in, like proportion Of women
| prisoners we have fully one hundred who
| should be in such a reformatory. Some
| of these are now in the county jail serv-
| ing short sentences, coming out more
hardened than when they entered, some
| of them in houses of correction, others
| still ON the street, constant menace to
society. The heart grows sick as we read
over and over again the names of women
| who vibrate between the jails and the
| houses of correction. and we long to see
! them in proper prison, with the motto
| st is useless to restrain by punishment,
| unless you reform by education" and
| the application of Claw in love and love
in law" The Sherborn prison has passed
| beyond the time of experiment. end the re-
suits are most gratifying. Last year n
were sent out from the prison to places
of service, mostly in the country, and all
but seven of them gave excellent salts
| faction.
Mrs. Stevens then dwelt upon the
methods emploJe ed at this modei prison,
such as the system of promotion. ETC.,
and urged that all philanbhropio women
of Maine should be interested in securing
for their unfortunate sisters the same OPP
portunity for restoration to moral and
useful lives.
| AT the close of Mrs. Stevens's remarks
Mrs. George S. Eunt gave several practi-
cal illustrations of the need of Reform
atory Prison for Women.
| Remarks were made by Miss A. G.
| Ieavitt and DR.. Lewis.