The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-16
ESTABLISHMENT OF VOLUNTEER
PRISON FARM IN BRADFORD
co. TO AID CRIMINALS
is PLANNED

jacksonville, March 16-Under the
auspices of the Volunteers of Amerl-
ca, plans have been formulated Tor
the opening of the farm home Tor
criminals who are released from
prison and for the care OF the faml-
lies of men who are sent to prison.
1t is the intention to have the 1arm
established in Bradford county, near
the site where the State Prison Farm
stands.
The following concerning the pro-
ject is being circulated throughout
the State by Adjutant and Mrs. l.. A.
Odom, State managers, with head
quarters at Palatka:
TIE charitable and philanthropic
citizens of our state have Tor many
years been trying to devise plan
which would have for its purpose the
moral uplift and betterment of the
unfortunate men who populate our
prisons and help and place them on
their feet those being released from
institutions, from time to time, who
in most cases feel ostacised and at
loss of what to do and where to
go.
Under the leadership Of Mrs.
Maude Ballington Booth, the worlds
foremost prison worker and reform
err, a Statewide and well organized
plan has been inaugurated, which
bids fair to solve this unmastered
problem and thus place a great army
of men on a high plane of living and
thinking, who have in the past been
released from prison to go forth and
face an Indifferent and unsympath-
etic public, which often causes men
to become habitual tramps, or COM
NIT other crimes worse than the first
offense
To cope with this great problem
we are opening a farm home in
Bradford county, Florida, near
Brooklyn, which will be real home
land not a whitewashed institution
for the purpose of receiving and
helping men whose lives have been
to the extent of a term
in prison, where food, lodging, medi
cal treatment and work will be fur
nished until a permanent position
can be secured for each individual.
he purpose of this home is to help
each recipient morally, spiritually
and intellectually, which can and
will be done by bringing them into
the proper environments.
Our captains make regular visits
to the various turpentine camps and
farms where religious services are
conducted and where reading matter
Is distributed among an army of
nearly two thousand prisoners. In
this event we become closely asso-
ciated with these men and thus are
able to reach many of them through
this home upon their release
In addition to this, department
will be opened for the wives and
children Of men in prison 1t is true
that when a jury finds man guilty
of crime, punishable by imprison-
ment, there is nothing said about
the poor wife and children, who
really suffer more than the one in
tended to be punished.
Without the help of our sympath-
etic people. what can be expected of
the penniless wife and the boy and
girl of the man in prison?
There certainly cannot be more
merciful mission, a more patriotic
and humane labor of love, than that
of helping men, women and chill
dren whose lives have been shadow
ed through such misfortune and ad-
versity.
We need your cooperation and
financial assistance in this extensive
labor OF humanity We are endeavor-
ing to build a half dozen bungalows
on our farm, besides making other
extensive improvements, and we,
therefore, need your support.
When you consider the fact that
this appeal deals with problem
never before penetrated in Florida,
you will. of course, appreciate our
position more thoroughly.
For reference we refer you to Hon.
j. j.. King, o. Brooklyn, who do
mated for this home a large tract of
land; Hon. w. A. McRae, Commits
sioner of Agriculture of Tallahassee,
and the State Bank of Palatka.
Thanking you in advance for any
cooperation, We beg to remain very
respectfully,
ADJUTANT l.. A. ODOM,
State Secretary the Volunteers of