The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-25
Tn Statement She Describes
 Recent Visit to the < County Jail
762 PERSONS UNDER
 30 YEARS OF AGE
Urges That County Sell Jail Property, Buy Small Farms, Inaugurate Honor System and Give Boys
 Chance for Redemption

Mrs F Nelson Andrews, 2219 Tenth 2 venue. south. has thrown herself into :, fight for t.e unfortunate prisoner nd espeeially that one who is con demned to the '1iving death" prior to lis thirtieth year
 In her work she is endeavoring to arouse the dormant enthusiasm of the people because she believes that if the people aid the legislature will be per suaded to act Already she has made l or appeal to the representatives or this county and has met with certain favorable response.
 Mrs. Andrews in her statement de- ecribes A recent visit to the county jail and declares that as a result or her investigation it was brought to light that al that time there were confined 1892 prisoners under 30 years Of age. Sell county property, buy small farms, inaugurate the honor system and give the boys a chance for redemption is the gist of the plea which she sets out in the following:
 The Living Death
 .To take 8 trip through the county iail. one will be immediately impressed with the many young faces seen there. particularly the young men-men un- der 80 years of age
 .There are many fine faces and good bodies; men with good blood, too, in their veins. For some cause often not of their own making, they have fallen into the claws of the law. Each time that I have been on those visits I felt as though l could scarcely avoid suf locating before 1 could get out.
 "On reflectng I wonder how it is possible for human beings to live on and on until they are either freed or condemned to reform schools, other prisons, chain gangs, penitentiaries of 10 death. l believe if more citizens would interest themselves in those who are so unfortunate and go to the jails and see conditions as they real ly are, they would then understand. il E. measure at least how far we are yet from true civilization.
 Consider the Unfortunate
 How l wished, as I sat and listened to pr. Oates, MT. Green and other. who spoke to us during the Sociologi cal congress here lately, that the whol, of Birmingham could have heard thei true statementsi When We are happ, in our comfortable homes with th necessities and pleasures of everyda, life, we have little thought of thos' less fortunate; not until we go dowi where they are and see them and hea their heart -rending stories and see th remorse and regret in their very be ings, many ashamed and cowed. continuation of such living fills thei hearts, minds and souls with deeds 0 crime to be committed when they hay, served their term of years in sucl loathsome living. Our jails are not re form schools, but rather the devil workshops.
 There are few men or women wh ever do their best in life until after the are 30 years of age. II takes an aVerag person from % to 9 years. or more, | complete the grades of school and col lege. After that they then have the grea school of learning how 10 deal with hu manity. Each step is more difficult | master, and 1t is usually after 90 that on has broadened enough to really be wort while
 We find little in history of Christ doings until after he was 30 years ole