New-York tribune., 1908-02-02
TO REFORM THE
WOMAN PRISONER.
OUTDOOR LABOR FOX THE
OLD OFFENDERS.
Tonen's Prison association Has
NesU Bill Proriding for a
State Farm.


the women prisoners of the state than the men
Certainly there is more done for them
DR. Annie s Daniel the speaker. and Ter
remark was called forth by statement in the an
rual report Of the State Prison Association that
tAe cost Of maintaining the men at Auburn prison
is $50 cents a day per capita, while that OF the
women is 67-s cents
Dr Daniel ts the medical director of the Isaac
T fIopper Home conducted for discharged women
prisoners by the women's Prison Association she
has been actively engaged in the work of the as
sociation for years.
THE only reason I can think Of she continued
sis that there few women compared Win
the men. About the same salaried stan "oulo
have 70 be employed TO look after the few as
the many, and this would, of course raise me
per carita- Then there children born in the
wornens prison and kept there until they are TWO
years old. but there not enough OF these TO
account for the great difference in per capita 1t
may be also that the industries pursued by the
men in Auburn more profitable than those OF
the women. The Auburn cane chairs.
make mattresses. knit make the clothing used in
the prison, and follow other industries suitable
TO nrison life but the great feature there is the
outdoor work they do In a recent year there
they raised four thousand heads OF cabbage aho
a corresponding quantity of other. fesetaoles-
They built a chicken house. doing every stroke
OF carpentry and other work on il There is a
wonderful story connected with this outdoor work
Fer four years woman employed in ii has hao
TO have any special discipline any solitary con-
tnement other prison punishment Inc WIN
en- who go Auburn old offenders. the kind
who are considered thoroughly hardened women.
women who have lived for years in intoxcAtfon
and vice, who thoroughly broken down IN
nervous system and will power They are hys-
terical and given sudden wild outbreaks against
uthorfty. The effect upon such women of outdoor
nothing less than wonderful IL IS not
the work alone. Set such a woman TO hernnllng
towels all day, some other sedentary. monoto-
nous. indoor work. and you get no good results
har+ fi,af-, is1re- ling
which keeps her outdoors all day and when night
comes she goes 10 bed and sleeps like a child
Then she begins get back her health, strength
and nervous tone. She begins to get normal for
the first time in years. Her system is filled with
oxygen and the active exercise of her whole body
works off the misplaced nervous energy, which
otherwise would store up for outbreak of law
lessness and defiance. The matron IN charge
there. Miss WEIGH. is of the remarkable
women in the world in prison work She has m
stituted reforms n outdoor work which have had
astonishing effect the health and morals Of
the women under her care
BABIES BORN IN JAIL
It is because Of this success of Miss WEIGH that
the Wonens Prison Association is endeavoring
establish something yet unknown in the world
q farm for women The association in
co-porated in 1s45. and has long record of legis
lstion for the benefit Of prisoners to its
credit II had matrons appointed FOR the station
houses of New York City and in every city prison.
Il secured the establishment of the Bedford Re-
fcTInatory. where the young sent,
Instead Of being con5nc1 with the old Offend
els. as formerly. Il took a leading part in esta5-
E4hing the probation system One of its most
cent achievements was 10 have the children born IN
prison taken away the age of years and
Tl1oed IN more suitable surroundings. Formerly
these children stayed with their mothers until the
latters' sentences expired. They knew no home but
prison walls, and some Of them would cry with
1--sEt If shey saw any woman not in the prison
eaFb 20 which they were accustomed. The asso-
oiaticn maintains The Isaac 7. Hopper home at No
10 Second avenue, where prisoners may stay one
month after their discharge ard where work Will
be secured for them If possible. Now the sssocia-
ton has taken the effort establish a totally
rev system for TIE treatment Of hardened offend
ers- There has long been abundant sympathy fo1
tiae girl VINO has Iaie her first nlisstep bur for
ihe woman who has been down INTO the ,i-egs and
EVed there there seems - be one 10 say a word
except the Women's Prison Association which
WORKS al This forio-n outpost deserted by all others
Encouraged by the remarkable results Of Miss
}elci's system outdoor work which has had IN
effect on women whom nothing else seemed 10
touch. they seeking establish the state farm
1or such women 4 bill for this introduced
last spring in the State Legislature and failed II
TglH be introduced again this winter. The associa
ton was not discouraged at its first failure for II
4ias hao long experience. Just TO show how hard II
e 70 gel anything for women, ii took more than
twenty years OF persistent untiring effort to secur.
-SNNNo-'- nearly a
and fully as hard struggle to secure the appoint
1nent OF police matrons IN the station houses of
tfls CITY -here IS no objection establishing the
state iafrn except the expense 1t has been IN
oorsed by nearly every important organization in
The state. charitable, civic, religious and poliricsI
II has been sanctioned by boards Of ma etstrat.s
county Judges, sherifs district attorneys and hv
almost ever practical worker in the cour-s
and missions Of New York. But il would require
appropriation of $50eeo and this suf1ced n kill
he Focf of
victed in the magistrates courts Of Manhattan
during the year 1897 exceeded by than s4 900
L. asked for.
HARDENED OFFENDERS
Miss Alice l. Woodbridge. prison visitor for
the association, has made radical study OF these
last and pitifuI dregs of society-the hard
ened women offenders
when il be proved" says She .tha. p
woman has been sentenced over hundred times
fer intoNioation or disorderly conduct and that
during her intervals Of liberty she has been ad-
nitted forty times one home il should h. suf
fclent proof 10 persons Of ordinary intelligence
that methods other than punitive are necessary
reform her.
Those who during intervals between SEN
fences have sufficient strength of character 70 |
seek employment usually find in the wards of !
Bellevue and other city institutions where they
more likely 10 infect others than to reform
themselves When employed they rarely re- |
main more than month and the wages earned |
find their way into the pockets Of the saloon or
dive keeper
Our probation officers realize the futilttv Of
paroiing the habitual orunkard or disorderlv Of
fender; that il is impossible to keep them under
observation anc impossible for the offenders IN