The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-26
URGES FOUNDING OF FREFORMAT0RY
 FOR BAD GIRLS
Cite Case of Bridgeport Miss to Prove Need of Institu-
 tion in Connecticut.

| Dr. Valerie H. Parker of Greenwich field secretary of the Connecticut So-
 ciety of Social Hygiene, delivered an interesting talk on the need of a re-
 formatory for women in this state re-
 gently and gave her reasons, mould
 ed through experience, why such an l institution is one of the states great
 est requirements.
 There is a great need for a state
 reformatory for women in Connecticut
 and while there has from time to time been discussion of this it was not until 1 four years ago that there was any
 public agitation on the matter" said Dr. Parker. At that time a commit tee was appointed by Governor Bald
 win and Prof. w. B. Bailey of Yale
 was named as the chairman. After a complete investigation of the matter the committee reported back that the l plan was good one, and the legisla- ture voted in favor of it. The cot l tage plan was to be followed. This called for the erection of groups of
 cottages on a large plot of land about l 200 acres in area rather than one large building or group of buildings that
 are now used. An appropriation of $2O,OOO was secured and the land was to be graded before the next meet ing of the legislature. At the next meeting of the legislature the largest committee hearing ever held had to use the senate chamber because of the number of delegates from the different welfare organizations about the state. All in attendance were in favor of the bill but the committee on appropria- tions voted it down because of the
 need for economy, but at the same
 time they voted $42,o00 to change the statutes of the state.
 Later a new committee was ap- pointed, consisting of Mrs. M. Good win, president, and Mrs. A. A. Crane,
 secretary, the object being to plan what a new bill would call for. The age limit in the Bailey bill was thirty years while in the new bill all over
 sixteen years were to be provided for. Support from all kinds of organiZa- tions is needed regardless of the fact that said organizations are for either men or women. People of a locality should get their representative inter
 ested and in this way get support for | the project. Many clubs about the state support the movement and have
 already given their endorsement" Dr. Parker said she has even liquor
 men interested and is to speak before a meeting of the Brewers union on the subject Such organizations as this are working for rather than against the movement.
 There are many reasons why this
 movement should be a success Dr. Parker claims, and a few of them are: At the present time girls between 8 and 16 years of age, when they are brought before court are committed to the industrial school, where they are well guarded and in some instan- ces are placed out until twenty-one.
 broken up home or any Of the many Girls are often in danger of vice from a causes that may throw them upon the
 world. The most attentive group Dr. Parker ever spoke to, she said, was at the industrial home where all the girls signified their intentions of att tending a series of lectures that was to be given. Sixty of tho most in- teresting questions were asked by the girls that showed their normal point of view. When a girl Is between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one there are no state institutions to which she can be sent other than the Jail or one of tho two private places. namely the House of the Good Shepherd in Hart ford and the Crittenden home in New Haven. Neither of these private places is broad enough in their scope and unless she is committed by the state it Is seldom that they will take a girl voluntarily, It is an almost i'm possible thing to get voluntary case in as the state sends so many that the homes are evercrowded and not only that but also the authorities will not take girl afflicted with disease. These places do not in any way take the place of state institutions,
 After twenty-one years of age there is no choice in the matter as the county jail is the only place left, said Dr. Parker. After living in an insti- tuition of this kind it is an almost inn possible thing to live down the name that is incurred, The court has two alternatives in the matter and they are either fine or the jail sentence.
 The speaker declared that the state or county jails furnish large quarters for the men while the women are compelled to live in cramped quar- ters, and in some instances are even compelled to stay indoors. One in- stance of this sort occurred in the Fairfield county jail where a woman had not seen the outside world in al- most years time.
 That conditions of this kind affect the health of the woman and the state has no right to mar the health of any individual under it's care, is Dr. Park er's view.
 Another wrong condition that Dr. Parker claims exists under the pres ent system is the failure to classify cases, and the girl who has commit ted her first offense is placed in the same class with the woman who has no feeling of shame for her crimes. In this way they are led to seek friends to whom jail is. no disgrace and are given the wrong incentive. A case of this kind occurred in Bridgeport where a girl who had been arrested tried to commit suicide and would not tell her name or the name of her parents. While she was awaiting trial she told Dr. Parker that she would communi- cate with her on her release in order that work could be found. Nothing was heard of her until upon investi- qa tiOn if was fO11nd she had rada