Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-26
WANTS ANOTHER
STATES PRISON
Mrs. Leland Norton Plans Model
Penitentiary for South
ern California
CONVICTS TO WORK FARMS
Superintendent of Legal Aid So
ciety to Inspect East
ern ReformatorieS

Southern California will have a
states prison il the efforts of Mrs.
Leland Norton, superintendent of the
Legal Aid society, are successful. Mrs.
Norton took the first step i'm the mat
ter yesterday when she commenced
work on a list of names of prominent
Los Angeles people who are known to
be interested in prison work. She will
notify them of the movement. and
early next month will cali meeting
to be held in the chamber of com
merce. All people interested in the
project will be invited to attend.
Mrs. Norton and other members OF
the Legal Aid Society believe "A states
prison should be located in this county
so that Southern Californians interested
I'm reform work can render better as
sistance to the men and women who
have been grasped by the strong arm
OF the law in this vicinity.
Mrs. Norton will have petitions
signed by the prominent people of Los
Angeles and these petitions will then
be given to the assem- blymen OF this
district The latter have not been
approached on the subject owing to
Mrs. Norton having barely outlined
her plans, but it Is believed that Los
Angeles REPRESENTATIVES, III illC dst'ChA-
bly, will cooperate with Mrs. Norton
and the Legal Aid society.
In speaking of the matter yester-
day. Mrs. Norton said:
~ believe Southern California should
have a modern prison for men and
women. and think 1t should be con-
structed near San Pedro or Long
Beach. large tract of land should
he secured so that the male prison.
ha TAUGHT agricultural work
/ have nothing to say about the rock
ouarr'ss of Folsom or the 1ute mill Of
San Quentin, but I feel that we don't
want the prisoners in our proposed
prison worked in that manner. Place
them to work on a well equipped
prison farm and when the prisoners
terms have expired the biggest per-
for it is work that man easily
learns to like"
Mrs. Norton has devoted the most
OF her time for the past thirty years to
aiding prisoners and their families
Many men ind women whom the state
haA deemed best to place behind the
haas have called down blessings on
MIR. Norton. for she has filled the
nlase of a mother to them She visits
the city and county jails daily on her
errands of mercy, giving aid and ad-
vice where advice is sorely needed.
The Legal Aid society, of which Mrs.
Norton is superintendent, has mem
bership of eighty men and women
who. without compensation or any
kind. render assistance to prisoners
and their relatives and also handle the
legal work connected with the As
sociated Charities. To this legal de
partment go poor people with their
troubles, some telling of an employer
who refuses to pay wages for labor
performed, Others of being in peril
of loving all their possessions through
being ensnared by. unscrupuious per-
sons. while others seek advice on many
matters. These people are assisted
free of charge and the attorneys who
give their services gratis for the so
ciety are Earl Newmeyer. Guy Ed
die. D. w. Mcconnell. D. r. Gardner,
M A. Fleming, M. Murine and G. I.
S geet.
Every member of the society will
assist in the work of securing
Southern California prison. Mrs. Nor
ton is planning on taking trip
through the east for the purpose of
inspecting the newest prisons so as
to be in a position to know just what
will be needed to make Southern Cali
fbrnia's proposed reformatory the best
on the Pacific coast.