St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1897-09-04
CRIME AMONG WOMEN.
System and Administrative Force u
AyEesbuPy Prison.

CHIME AMONl WOThENs
System and Administrative. Force NJ
Aylesbury Prison.
Is crime decreasing among womenf
A day spent by special order from the
home secretary in the female convict
prison at Aylesbury would lead one at
first emphatically to answer in the af.
firmatiTe, for within its walls is con.
tanned the whole of the feminine crimi.
nal population Of England and Wales.
undergoing sentences Of penal servi.
tude of three years or over that term
The entire number was on the date that
/ was there 199, total now seldom ex.
ceeded by more than five or six. Sta.
tistics unfortunately are less reassur'
| ing, though the reformatory and i'm
| dustrial schools act, the summary Jurls-
| diction act and the shortening of sem
| fences have relieved the convict prisons
of a considerable proportion of those
| who would otherwise have been in
mates, while the last committee oil
| prisons forcibly pointed out that
diminution of persons under detention
could not for many reasons be taken
as sconclusive Indications of correspond
ing decrease in crime. Women's Of
! fenses. with few exceptions, belong
to the less heroic orders of crime, and
passing base money, theft, assault and
even cruelty to children are dealt with
in the humane spirit which has prompt
ed the 1ightest punishment consistent
with justice. Hence penal servitude is
comparatively seldom meted out to the
sex.
Wol5ing was vacated as female con-
Wet establishment last November, when
/ its inmates were transferred to their
present quarters at Aylesbury. Origi-
nally the buildings were used as the
county Jail, but Buekinghamshire is
now in the creditable position of re-
/ curing far less prison accommodation
than they offered, and it was found
/ that they could well be converted to a
penal establishment for women. The
I edifice stands on an elevation outside
the old-fashioned little town, and its
exterior aspect, save for its heavy, iron
studded doors, hardly suggests its in
ternal character.
One is courteously asked to wait
a minute or two within its massive,
doubly-locked portals while the cre-
/ dentials with which one is furnished
are taken in and laid before DR.. George
Walker. who enjoys unique position
In the prison administration of the
united kingdom, inasmuch as he is both
governor and experimenting medical
I officer These being satisfactory, am
usheredi into the governors office, where
| DR.. Walker quickly enumerates few
/ facts and figures as to the establish
nent. Next in authority to himself
is Miss Co1lingwood, a lady who ranks
as deputy governor and who has had
many years of experience with female
criminals. The position of lady Scrip
j ture reader is an official one, and this
Miss Co1lfngwood held before her ap.
pointment to the higher responsibility
at Woking. There is a chief matron
six principal matrons and several un-
der matrons, numbering in all, with
4 four sehoolmistTesses, q staff OF g.
4 women. Some half-dozen stalwart and
Il We'll SET up Iltu, WIZ 1ttie . soSA F&@e' =
the army, act as gatekeepefs and III
! nominal outdoor posts, for long ex-
perience has proved that if a woman
prisoner becomes exceedingly violent
or refractory it is an absolute neces-
sity to have male assistance at hand
Speaking generally, however, the con
yicts are most amenable, and scarcely
ever give any trouble; but if one does
fairly ''break out" the mere appear
ance of the two men standing behine
the matrons Is the quickest and mos
effectuaI way Of restoring order ane
quiet. AS times go and the keen compe
tition for all posts open to women, {
prison matron-the term swardress" j;
not used-is comfortably placed. He'
salary starts at EGO a year and she il
provided with a room, firing, light ane
uniform, this last consisting of blacl
dress, a neat bonnet and long dark
blue jacket. Many are the daughter
or sisters of warders in other prisons
and, of course, the fullest inquiries arr
made and the utmost care is exercised
in selection and appointment. t.-Londol
Telegraph.