The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1916-05-25
W. {. I. L. PROCURED POLICE
MATRON
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Continued from First Page)
Skowhegan. The women when COM
mitted to the Reformatories are
studied in a three-fold manner. the
special effort being to put the mind,
body and soul in the best of condl-
ton. The woman first goes into the
hands of a physician and nurse and
the first cottage which is built on the
Reformatory estate is to have an in
Urinary connected Herewith. Spec
ial effort is going to be made along
hygienic lines and the food served
will be wholesome and plain. Most
of the food is to be produced on the
farm and this out of door employment
has been selected to put the women
in the right physical condition
There will also be psychologist to
examine the mentality of the arriving
inmates and in case the mentality is !
found deficient as is frequently the
cases in other institutions of the
kind the unfortunate will be trans
ferred to the Home of Feeble Minded .
or the Insane Hospital. Moral re-
formation is to be brought about by
associating the unfortunate women
with good women who will be en-
ployed as matrons, each matron to
have twelve or fourteen women under
her care. There will also be ethi-
cal training and every woman will be
encouraged to give expression TO
their religious preference Regular
religious services will probably be
held at the Reformatory.
Mrs. Lawrence also explained in a
very pleasing manner the growth of
the WomanS Reformatories. the first
two coming into existence almost
simultaneously in the states of Mas
sachusetts and Indiana in 1877. Later
two refOrmatories were built in New
York and there are now similar in
stitutions in Pennsylvania, Connect
cut ard New Jersey. She gave the
Portland w c. T. I. the credit OF
originating the movement when the
members of that organization hired
police matron, while in 1882. Mrs.
Stevens the president recommended
the appointment Of a committee to
confer with members of the Legisla-
ture regarding the building of Re
formatory for women. The Cover
nor and members of the Senate favor
ed il at that time but the bill was re-
jected on the plea of lack of funds.
Since that time every Governor has
favored the building and maintaining
of such an institution, but the final
impetus occurred when DR. Davis, the
committee of corrections in New York
visited Maine in 1911. Copies of her
address were circulated. and eyentu-
ally the $4,000 was appropriated.
In closing Mrs. Lawrence. who by
the way is a lecturer for the National
W c. r. L. and was a prominent
Club woman in New York state be
fore removing to Maine, made an APP
peal TO all good women to so form
children, girls and young women that
they would not need to be reformed.
AS a means to this end she spoke Of
various problems to be needed by
every mother, launching upon the
temperance problem and the bancful
effects of gossip upon every girl who
has taken her first wrong step. She
also gave several Rotations of diff
ferent points which she wished to i'm
press upon her hearers. While
speaking Mrs. Lawrence read portions
of the act to establish the Reforma-
tory and through the press wishes
to give special emphasis to that act
relative to aiding and .abetting the
escape of an inmate which is sub
stantially as follows whoever ad-
vises, induces or abets any woman
committed to said Reformatory to es-
cape, or elopes with any such woman,
or without the consent of the trus-
tees. marries any such woman during
her term of commitment, shall be
fined not more than one hundred dol
lars or be imprisoned not exceeding
one year, and any woman who has
so escaped may be arrested and de-
tanned without warrant for a reason
able time to enable the superintend-
ent or a trustee of said ReformatOryH
or authorized person to take such
woman for the purpose of returning
her to the Reformatory Whenever
any inmate of the Reformatory not
having been sentenced thereto by the
court of the county wherein such re-
formatory for women shall be estah-
lished, shall be convicted in such
county of any misdemeanor or felony
committed while an inmate of said
Reformatory the cost and expenses of
trying such convicted inmate and of
her maintenance after conviction
and sentence, if the county Jail of
such county shall be paid by the
county from which said convicted in
mate was sentenced and the cost and
expenses of the trial of such con-
victed inmate shall in the first in
stance, be paid to the county wherein
such Reformatory for women shall
be established where commissioners
are thereupon authorized to draw
their warrant upon the treasurer of
the County from which the convicted
inmate was sentenced to the Reform
atory for the amount so paid by the
said county wherein the Reforma-
tory shall be established for said
costs and expenses, which warrant 1t
shall be the duty of the treasurer
upon whom it may be drawn to pay
forthwith. !