The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-02-02
NEED OF WOMEN'S
REFORMATORY
Crying State Want Demon
strated At a Conference of
Charity Workers At New
ark
MISS C. B. DAvIs's ADDRESS
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE
STATE REFoRMAToRY IN BED
FORD TALKS OF HER INsTITU-
TION AND GIVES SUGGESTIONS.

That there is great need for reforma-
tory for women in this State was shown
at the third public meeting of the New
ark Conference of Charities and Cor-
rections in thesFree Public Library, New
ark. The work accomplished by the
! Christian Refuge. Hope Cottage Of the
similar institutions was explained, and
the hope was expressed that the commits
sion appointed by former Governor Muir
ply to draft bill which would provide
for a reformatory for women would
again become active. The commission,
which consists of Edwin G. Adams of
Montclair; Mrs. C. B. Alexander, of Ho-
boken; Mrs. George w. Blackwell, Of
East Oran~o and Miss Mary Philbrook,
of Newark, made an attempt to establish
such an institution, but the bill asking
for appropriations was not accepted. A
committee of philanthropic women in Or
ange, at the head of which is Mrs. Black
well, is now devising some means where
with to make provisions for better bin,
and it is expected that the commission
appointed will cooperate.
Miss Catharine Bement Davis, super
intendent of the State Reformdtory in
.
Bedford, spoke about the work accom-
plished there and gave some excellent
suggestions which might prove of value
to the New Jersey workers. She said
that because there are not enough set
tlement workers in city or State women
reformatories are needed.
ssCriminal women are IN the institu-
tions,'' said Miss Davis. because they
are unable to get fair training. The
young women who come into these in
stitutions come from an environment
where there is no discipline and where
nothing good can be gained. Settle
ment work should be encouraged, and
these poor shop girls, whose only rec
reation at times is the street or the
dance hall in back of saloon, should be
cared for wholesomely.
1T may be encouraging for you who
have been vainly working for woman's
reformatory in this State to know that
New York had a hard struggle to get its
institutions, and that today it is second
| in this work. The reformatory, of course,
is entirely different from the prison. The
latter is for the purpose of punishment.
IT is our duty in the reformatory to fit
these women to go out into social life in
| the shortest possible time. Some day
! hope we will be able to keep a young
woman in our institution until, in our
opinion. she is ready to cope with the
| outside world. No one can tell how long
| it will take to reform a young woman.
Most Of the women who come to our
| reformatory are nervous wrecks. They
| have led life of excitement and crave
| for it, and you cannot expect great deal
| from anyone who is excessively nervous.
| We first attend to the physical condition
| Of an inmate, and let them have a great
| deal of hard outdoor work. Therefore ii
1
is very necessary that reforInatory
| should be in the country. Life in the
| open air is to be recognized in this ae-
formatory work. In Bedford we have a
big farm.
After the woman has had enough out
| door exercise she gets an appetite, and
then she is ready to receive other educa-
ton. She gets good industrial training.
'sMany women have gone wrong be
cause they did not know how to work in
order to get fair salary to support them
selves. While they are with us they re-
ceiye a training in various occupations
| Domestic work is especially taught. A
school education is also given. There il
! high percentage Of illiteracy among the
| girls. Out if 1888 we have found sixty
three who could not read or write, and
only twelve Of them all had gone through
the grammar school. We prepare then
for life and correlate the school worl
with the needs Of everyday life.
"The girls are also entertained as they
would be in school. They arrange theil
own entertainments, and also have dane
ing. They are allowed to dance. Their
are thvee dancing classes. We ALSO hav.
religious services for the various faiths.
Mrs. g. B. Alexander. as d member 81
the commission Of this State, said tha
the members are working Aard now i
get q bill introduced It Is suggested tha
the cottage plan be adopted. and caleu